[odf-discuss] [Fwd: Document Format Standards Committee "Grinds to a Halt" after OOXML]

[Daniel Carrera]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Document Format Standards Committee "Grinds to a Halt" after OOXML
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:58:07 -0400
From: Andrew.Updegrove at gesmer.com
To: Andrew_Updegrove at gesmer.com

As you will recall, Microsoft's OOXML submission to ISO/IEC via Ecma  did
not garner enough votes to obtain approval in the first round of voting,
which closed on September 2.  As you may also recall, in the run up to
that vote there were many sudden increases in membership not only in
national standards bodies, but in SC 34, the ISO/IEC JTC1 committee where
the national votes were cast.  As part of the same trend, eleven countries
upgraded their membership from Observer to Participating status in SC 34,
in order to secure the greater influence over the final vote that could be
gained as "P" members.  The great majority of those upgrading companies
voted to approve OOXML, but this influx was still insufficient to carry
the day.

Many felt that these events damaged the integrity of the standards
process.  It now appears that the damage is extending beyond reputation,
and is affecting the ability of the standards process to function at all.
Due to the fact that these newly minted "P" members have not participated
in any of the voting required by SC 34 members other than the OOXML vote,
the work of this very important committee, in the words of its chair, has
"ground to a halt."  In fact, not a single vote has achieved sufficient
participation to pass - other than the OOXML vote - since the new members
arrived.

The specific rule leading to this result is that at least 50% of the P
members must participate in order for a standard to take the next of the
several steps required to advance it to adopted status.  Simply casting an
abstention is sufficient to meet the participation test, but the new P
members have failed to participate even to that minimal extent.  To make
matters worse, SC 34 is a vital committee for the IT industry, with many
important existing and potential standards under its care.

The situation underlines the vulnerability of the traditional standard
setting process to those that wish to manipulate the rules.  Those rules
are based on the assumption that participants are acting in good faith.
They are also biased towards making participation easy, in order to allow
everyone affected by standards to have a voice in their creation.  As
standards become ever more important to vendors as well as to the rest of
the world, it appears that those rules will need to be overhauled.

Further details are here:
http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=20071016092352827

As always, please let me know if you would like to be removed from this
distribution list.

Andrew Updegrove
Gesmer Updegrove LLP
40 Broad Street
Boston, MA  02109
v:  617/350-6800
f:  617/350-6878
http://www.gesmer.com
http://www.consortiuminfo.org
http://www.opensourcelegal.org

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