Comments on: OOXML: Open Letter to YES-voting and ABSTAIN-voting Countries http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-letter-yes-abstain-countries.html Digital Awareness and Flying Spirit Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:19:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Rog http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-letter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121559 Rog Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:38:17 +0000 http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-leter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121559 Rick Jelliffe said: "Compromises are often necessary." Compromise apparently being defined as "Whatever Microsoft wants". This has been a farce. OOXML was never suited for fast-track, is not implementable, even by Microsoft, is certainly not open, and will never be a standard in any sense that word was originally intended to mean. The rules are clear enough, but apparently a number of participants were only reading the version that had passed through an OOXML translator... Rick Jelliffe said: “Compromises are often necessary.”

Compromise apparently being defined as “Whatever Microsoft wants”.

This has been a farce. OOXML was never suited for fast-track, is not implementable, even by Microsoft, is certainly not open, and will never be a standard in any sense that word was originally intended to mean.

The rules are clear enough, but apparently a number of participants were only reading the version that had passed through an OOXML translator…

]]> By: Anonymous http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-letter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121383 Anonymous Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:26:21 +0000 http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-leter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121383 hey! Rick doesn’t get paid to read rules, geez, could you be less informed! ;) hey! Rick doesn’t get paid to read rules, geez, could you be less informed!
;)

]]> By: Avi http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-letter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121375 Avi Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:46:43 +0000 http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-leter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121375 Oh, and Rick, you never hear this idea before, probably because, apparently, NBs don't have enough maturity to even read and understand the JTC1 rules. Oh, and Rick, you never hear this idea before, probably because, apparently, NBs don’t have enough maturity to even read and understand the JTC1 rules.

]]> By: Avi http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-letter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121368 Avi Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:15:31 +0000 http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-leter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121368 Rick, there is a note after these points in the JTC1 rules. You can read it in the quote: "Conditional approval should be submitted as a disapproval vote." Brazil's NB voted according to these rules, and I think they are correct. Not showstoppers are editorial problems. Problems like 5 ways to represent dates, lack of a mapping between the old binary formats and the new OOXML, binary blocks inside an OOXML document, lack of documentation to many parts of the OOXML schema etc etc etc are complete technical valid showstoppers. Not to mention the IP problems, the 95% overlap with ODF (two standards equals to no standard at all) and others that are not so technically driven. Rick, there is a note after these points in the JTC1 rules. You can read it in the quote: “Conditional approval should be submitted as a disapproval vote.”

Brazil’s NB voted according to these rules, and I think they are correct.

Not showstoppers are editorial problems. Problems like 5 ways to represent dates, lack of a mapping between the old binary formats and the new OOXML, binary blocks inside an OOXML document, lack of documentation to many parts of the OOXML schema etc etc etc are complete technical valid showstoppers.

Not to mention the IP problems, the 95% overlap with ODF (two standards equals to no standard at all) and others that are not so technically driven.

]]> By: OOXML: Os NBs ainda não explicaram como votaram http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-letter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121361 OOXML: Os NBs ainda não explicaram como votaram Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:05:08 +0000 http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-leter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121361 [...] por Avi Alkalay (avibrazilΘgmail·com) - referência [...] [...] por Avi Alkalay (avibrazilΘgmail·com) - referência [...]

]]> By: Rick Jelliffe http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-letter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121325 Rick Jelliffe Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:43:23 +0000 http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-leter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121325 "In other words, from my understanding, if there is one or more technical problems, the NB must disapprove the DIS." How do you get that idea? I have never heard of anyone suggesting it before. Did your NB vote on the basis of this mistake? What voting Yes means is not that there are no technical problems, but that they are not showstoppers. Compromises are often necessary. Cheers Rick Jelliffe “In other words, from my understanding, if there is one or more technical problems, the NB must disapprove the DIS.”

How do you get that idea? I have never heard of anyone suggesting it before. Did your NB vote on the basis of this mistake?

What voting Yes means is not that there are no technical problems, but that they are not showstoppers. Compromises are often necessary.

Cheers
Rick Jelliffe

]]> By: Victor http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-letter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121286 Victor Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:47:44 +0000 http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-leter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121286 If you think any company that were not able to create a committee to technically discuss the specification should vote ABSTAIN you are correct. Reality is somewhat different. Here is answer to official request from Russian's Duma (Russian parliament) member: http://v-alksnis2.livejournal.com/66629.html It's in Russian and you'll need official translation if you want to protest but basically it says "we faithfully followed OUR OWN procedures and they say: if no response from technically committee - vote YES". It was sent by clerk, not even by some person in power. Who needs any lobbing or bribing with rules like THAT? If you think any company that were not able to create a committee to technically discuss the specification should vote ABSTAIN you are correct.

Reality is somewhat different. Here is answer to official request from Russian’s Duma (Russian parliament) member: http://v-alksnis2.livejournal.com/66629.html

It’s in Russian and you’ll need official translation if you want to protest but basically it says “we faithfully followed OUR OWN procedures and they say: if no response from technically committee - vote YES”. It was sent by clerk, not even by some person in power. Who needs any lobbing or bribing with rules like THAT?

]]> By: Fábio Emilio Costa http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-letter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121162 Fábio Emilio Costa Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:12:42 +0000 http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-leter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121162 As every time, you hit the point simply and objectively. OOXML is a awful standard. If it passes, everyone loses (except Microsoft and the "Partner" Mafia). As every time, you hit the point simply and objectively. OOXML is a awful standard. If it passes, everyone loses (except Microsoft and the “Partner” Mafia).

]]> By: Alan http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-letter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121155 Alan Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:42:44 +0000 http://avi.alkalay.net/2008/03/ooxml-open-leter-yes-abstain-countries.html#comment-121155 Very good points, especially the last two paragraphs. I think your statement on reasons for abstention are more concise and logical than I have otherwise seen. Very good points, especially the last two paragraphs. I think your statement on reasons for abstention are more concise and logical than I have otherwise seen.

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