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

[robert_weir at us.ibm.com]

I have no way of knowing exactly what Jody or any other particular person 
on Ecma TC45 is working on.  I'm merely making an observation on the 
process, that Ecma is severely constrained in what changes they can make 
to OOXML at this point, and these must be to resolve JTC1 national body 
comments.  This is not open season for Ecma members to be proposing their 
own changes. 

-Rob




From:
Pamela Jones <pj at groklaw.net>
To:
ODF Discussion List <odf-discuss at opendocumentfellowship.com>
Date:
10/31/2007 12:07 PM
Subject:
Re: [odf-discuss] Response from a GNOME Foundation board director



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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