[odf-discuss] Gnome, Ecma, and what governments (and FOSS?) should have done

[Alberto Barrionuevo]

On Thursday 01 November 2007 11:15:40 Daniel wrote:
> [summary: Documenting MS format so that files that a currently locked
> into MS can be freed is a good thing]
>
> > *BUT* it is the way it is happening, that is inside the
> > standardization process, that is de-facto helping them to get ISO
> > labels, that seems wrong and really counterproductive to me.
>
> Comments:
> - So, the only issue that remains is increasing the chances that OOXML
> become an ISO standard. Jody has stated that he is not participating in
> the ISO conflict resolution process.

Gnome is participating in the ISO process since the moment that Microsoft can 
say (and is saying and marketing everywhere) that Gnome has participated in 
the deverlopment of ECMA-376 (DIS 29500). This is a strong argument to defeat 
our arguments in ISO about that only MS-Office implements OOXML really. You 
will check soon that every marketing document from Microsoft at the ISO 
members will say soon that GNOME backs OOXML because it supported the 
creation of OOXML at ECMA.

> - If you argue that the mere fact that OOX is in ECMA improves it
> chances of becoming ISO, I'd counter that OOX would be in ECMA whether
> or not Jody participates, so this has nothing to do with Jody or Gnome.

One thing is that ECMA committee is composed by Microsoft and its backers 
(Intel, Apple, Novell, etc.) and another thing is that important projects of 
the community add its label to that "club". The name of Gnome in that group 
helps a lot to Microsoft to get its ISO, since with it Microsoft can show to 
all the national committees that indeed free software community is backing 
OOXML, so "OOXML is an open standard with many and competitive 
implementations" (what remains false, because actually only MS-Office 
implements it... and badly in the case of the DIS 29500 or ECMA-376 versions 
of the specification).

So Jody joining officially in the name of Gnome of course that is helping to 
Microsoft to get its ISO. And an ISO for OOXML means severe problems for ODF.

Different would be that Jody joins via another entity not as important in the 
free software world as Gnome. I would see no any problem on that approach, 
since he could get the interoperability information he looks for in the same 
way. But Microsoft wants/needs to Gnome in the team, not any other.

And I continue seeing no profit for Gnome on this (I only see profit for some 
of the corporative founders of the Gnome Foundation: Novell, Intel, HP, etc. 
who are, more hiddenly or less, backing the ISO for OOXML with their actions 
and omissions).

Saludos,
-- 
Alberto Barrionuevo
Vice President FFII
www.ffii.org