[odf-discuss] Response from a GNOME Foundation board director

[Pamela Jones]

He's now helping Microsoft to resolve the comments?

Why?

Daniel Carrera wrote:
> Hi Rob,
> 
> Thanks for the explanation. I didn't know some of these details, like Jody's work being limited to resolving comments. That was very informative.
> 
> 
> --- robert_weir at us.ibm.com wrote:
> 
> From: robert_weir at us.ibm.com
> To: ODF Discussion List <odf-discuss at opendocumentfellowship.com>
> Subject: Re: [odf-discuss] Response from a GNOME Foundation board director
> Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:35:46 -0400
> 
> Jeff Waugh wrote on 10/30/2007 12:33:55 AM:
> 
> 
>> So, now to respond to the issues that participants on this list have 
> raised:
>>  * While Jody Goldberg (Gnumeric maintainer) was at Novell, he had been
>>    doing rocking work on TC45-M to make sure OOXML didn't just slip 
> through,
>>    under-specified and uninvestigated.
>>
>>  * When Jody left Novell, the GNOME Foundation joined TC45-M to support 
> his
>>    participation, so he could continue to "keep the bastards honest". 
> OOXML
> 
> 
> The practical difficulty here is that of timing.  While I have no doubt 
> that Jody was instrumental in getting additional technical disclosures 
> from Microsoft back in 2006, Ecma TC45 is not in that mode of operation 
> right now.  The OOXML standard Ecma 376 has already been approved by Ecma. 
>  It is now before JTC1 as DIS 29500 and the text is essentially frozen 
> since December 2006.  The only changes that can be made to it must be in 
> response to specific JTC1 national body ballot comments.  Jody can no 
> longer go to a TC45 meeting and say, "Gee, I'd like more information added 
> on X, Y and Z".  JTC1 rules forbid changes to the standard that are not 
> traceable to a national body comment.
> 
> Certainly, Jody or any other Ecma TC45 member so inclined can help 
> Microsoft address the thousands of ISO comments that were received, and 
> help prep OOXML for approval by JTC1.  There is certainly a lot of grunt 
> work to be done there.  But let's not call that anything but what it is -- 
> helping Microsoft gain ISO approval. 
> 
> Of course, when then next MS Office version comes around (Office 2009 ?) 
> and Microsoft wants to revise OOXML to account for new features, then I'm 
> sure Ecma TC45 will reactivate for new work and Jody can continue his good 
> work getting more detail from Microsoft. But right now TC45 is entirely 
> focused (and limited by the process to focus) on JTC1 member comments. We 
> now have dozens of JTC1 member states who voted against OOXML to "keep the 
> bastards honest".
> 
> I wonder if GNOME's interests and energies might be better appreciated by 
> joining OASIS and working on ODF 1.2?  We would certainly welcome Jody's 
> participation there.  And unlike OOXML, ODF 1.2 is still under 
> development, so his technical expertise and insights can really make a 
> difference now.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> -Rob
> 
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