OOXML gets ISO approval [LWN.net]

OOXML gets ISO approval

Posted Apr 3, 2008 4:29 UTC (Thu) by tialaramex (subscriber, #21167)
In reply to: OOXML gets ISO approval by lysse
Parent article: OOXML gets ISO approval

ISO isn't really corrupt per se, it's just a talking shop, like the UN. It exists at the whim
of its member nations. Most major industrialised nations are participating members, and thus
have a vote.

Corruption within the national standards bodies (which is what was actually documented) is an
internal matter. Some countries had robust national standards bodies which looked at this
proposal and rejected it. Some didn't. If yours didn't, you need to be making a fuss about
that. Your country's national standards body is probably responsible for your day-to-day
safety since it sets all sorts of relevant standards, so if it's corrupt and a company like
Microsoft can buy votes, that's a serious issue and you should be able to get some daylight on
it from your national press.

ISO has approved a very large number of standards, some of which are useless. If no-one adopts
this standard (note that so far Microsoft don't implement it) then it achieves nothing except
some bad press for ISO and some mixed press for Microsoft.

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OOXML gets ISO approval

Posted Apr 3, 2008 12:49 UTC (Thu) by davecb (subscriber, #1574) [Link]

Nevertheless, they do have a duty to ensure
that their procedures are followed, and
that the part of the process they "own"
not only does justice, but is seen to do 
justice.

Failing to do that legitimately raises
questions of corruption in the ISO, as
well as in the individual national 
bodies who make it up.

Think of gangrene: If your left leg has it,
then *you* have gangrene. And if you don't 
cure it or at least cut off your leg, all 
parts of your body get to die (;-))

--dave