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Microsoft gains ISO approval for Office Open XML?

01 April 2008 1 comment

Retired member

It looks very much like Microsoft have won over the ISO despite the official announcement being delayed until the 2nd. It hasn't exactly been plain sailing for Microsoft with this - with assorted protests still going on - such as Norway's yes vote and questions about how the BSI here in the UK did such a U turn.

So why the fuss? Open Document Format was approved last year by the ISO and its fans are distrusting and somewhat vocal in their disapproval of Microsoft and the OOXML spec. They suspect down the line it'll give MS a huge advantage and some reckon the spec itself is a little on the flakey side, to say the least. Not like me to use Microsoft and flakey in the same sentence. Oh - just did it again.

Also have a read of the comments on this Register article for a further taster.

Update - here's the official word from the ISO.

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Comments: (2)

Steve Ellis Founder at Finextra Research

02 April 2008

Pete

Here's an outrageous idea. Did you ever consider that maybe Open XML just won the vote?

Then again its probably better copy to feed the myth that any extra votes were swung by personal calls from Elvis and/or Princess Diana, and its all part of a plot being hatched on a Grassy Knoll just outside Redmond.

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A Finextra member

02 April 2008

Well for a spec it has some rum things in it. For example, fudges being introduced into the spec to make up for bugs in existing products. The 1900 bug for example - explained more fully by Rob Weir here - surely this can't be true?! I can see why people might well be bemoaning the outcome.

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