Wouter’s updates on the ISO meetings

IBM's antic carrying on

Notes2Self.net — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 09:58:08 GMT

A couple of interesting items prompt me to write a quick post about IBM. Jack Schofield, the Guardian

re: Wouter’s updates on the ISO meetings

hAl — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 17:53:08 GMT

Not being a national body I would vote yes but still ask Ecma to make certain changes to the spec if possible. I would propose these changes be made to the spec:

* Remove the bitmask items or deprecate them and add in valid XML replacements for those.

* Put the VML spec to an annex or something but not in the main format parts.

* Mayby add very limited support for ISO 8601 dates in spreadsheet and assure the ISO committee that you will deprecate the date1900 format in any new version of the spec in favor of the date1904 format so that no new spreadsheets are created that way in newer version of the spec.

* Make the section 2.15 section with the deprecated compatibility items a lot smaller. It should be no more then a list of possible tags. Add in tha section information that conformance to the compatibility specs can exist as either informing the user of possible incompatiblity or repliating the compatibility behaviour. Put all decriptions of the compatibility behaviour in a seperate annex and, allthough I expect nobody will ever use them, add in the few descritions that were missing/inadaquate even though it is only to please critics and addd little value to the spec.

hAl

re: Wouter’s updates on the ISO meetings

Sean — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 18:18:39 GMT

That's discouraging. Is there some governing body at ISO where Wouter can take his concerns?

re: Wouter’s updates on the ISO meetings

Stephane Rodriguez — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 12:02:59 GMT

I don't know how to reconcile those two statements above : "IBM to enlarge the market share of their own office productivity suite", "critique being raised by IBM against Office Open XML, ranging from low-blow, to plainly incorrect."

Can someone please educate me and tell what is the IBM productivity suite this guy is talking about?

If by any chance he's talking about OpenOffice, being an open source project with plenty of full-time employees from Sun and Novell, I have to question the basic facts.

In short, when this guy is talking about plain incorrect facts, he's probably looking himself in the mirror.

I don't give a shit about IBM, but statements cannot be rewritten by bribed MVPs and be taken as facts.

I would like to hear from a really neutral party instead.

Part of my wishes have been realized this week by the ISO CHAIR COMMITTEE releasing comments to the public. I recommend anyone to read them, it takes Microsoft for what they are, and certainly criticizes the crap they are trying to push. (in a nutshell, OOXML was never designed with XML in mind).

Also, I would like to hear from people who really implement the specs. Unless I am wrong (please correct me), the bribed MVP above never implemented the specs he is talking about.

re: Wouter’s updates on the ISO meetings

BrianJones — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 21:53:45 GMT

http://www-142.ibm.com/software/workplace/products/product5.nsf/wdocs/workplaceclienttech

"IBM Workplace Managed Client includes ODF-compliant productivity tools to create, share, and publish documents -- including word processing, spreadsheets and presentations. Learn about the importance of ODF."

re: Wouter’s updates on the ISO meetings

hAl — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:16:38 GMT

[quote]Can someone please educate me and tell what is the IBM productivity suite this guy is talking about?[/quote]

IBM is about to deploy "Notes 8"

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9013300&pageNumber=1

A quote from that computerworld article:

[quote]Major new features include the ability to view and compose files in the Open Document Format for Office Applications directly within Notes.[/quote]

It could cost IBM a fortune if ODF does not make it big as they gambled on it being a succes in their commercial products.

re: Wouter’s updates on the ISO meetings

Stephane Rodriguez — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:19:20 GMT

Ok, I'll check that one out.