[odf-discuss] Open Standards and security

[Graham Lauder]

On Friday 25 January 2008 06:43:38 Lars Noodén wrote:
> Just an anecdote that may be a useful example:
>
> There was a congressional investigation that resulted in common standards.
>
> During the epicenter of the Reagan administration, the US decided (for
> whatever reason) to invade the island country of Grenada.  Because of
> the downturn in economy and the impending budget cuts pretty much every
> arm of every branch of the armed services tried to get into the action
> to rationalize their continued existence.
>
> At several points the inability of the units in different services to
> communicated directly cause problems (and IIRC deaths).  At one point a
> land unit was pinned down by a friendly-fire naval bombardment.  The
> unit was freed by an officer who had a long distance telephone card
> (fairly uncommon at the time) who got to the nearest payphone and called
> his unit and had the message relayed all the way up to Washington and
> then back down through the corresponding chain of command to the unit
> shooting at the land unit.
>
> Anyway, that's all a while ago, but should be well documented.
>
> -Lars


A really good treatise on the battle to create a standard is Marc Levinsons 
book.  "The Box, how the shipping container made the world smaller and the 
world economy bigger".  

Cheers
GL


-- 
Graham Lauder,
OpenOffice.org MarCon (Marketing Contact) NZ
http://marketing.openoffice.org/contacts.html

INGOTs Assessor Trainer
(International Grades in Office Technologies)
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Member: OpenDocument Fellowship
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