ConsortiumInfo.org The Standards Blog

Linux Foundation Calls for Support of IBM IT Standards Policy

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:53:57 -0700

As I reported yesterday, IBM has announced a new "I.T.Standards Policy," calling for (among other things) more transparency, openness and inclusiveness in the standards development process, and for the use by standards organizations of fewer, clearer and more open-source friendly intellectual property rights policies. IBM also disclosed the wide-ranging, and in some cases radic...

IBM's New "I.T.Standards Policy" - and a Call for Wider Reform

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:01:54 -0700

Although most of the thunder of the OOXML adoption battle has now died away, the after effects of that controversial process continue to linger. Some of the residual effects have been intangible, such as hard feelings on the part of at least four National Bodies over their inability to obtain a formal review of their complaints over how the OOXML adoption process was conducted. But there have been other responses that are more concrete, and directed at taking specific actions to raise the bar and avoid a repeat performance. One of those efforts has been ongoing since late last spring, and today the first tangible results of that effort are being ...

The CONSEGI 2008 Declaration: Six Nations "Just Say No" to ISO/IEC

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:49:32 -0700

The latest blowback from the OOXML adoption process emerged last Friday in Brasilia, Brazil. This newest challenge to the continued relevance of ISO and IEC was thrown when major IT agencies of six nations - Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Paraguay, South Africa and Venezuela - signed a declaration that deploring the refusal of ISO and IEC to further review the appeals submitted by the National Bodies of four nations. Those nations were Brazil, India, South Africa and Venezuela, and the statement is titled the CONSEGI 2008 Declaration, after the conference at which it was delivered. The Declaration notes, "That these concerns were not...

The Lion in Winter - or is it Spring? Ted Kennedy Addresses the Democratic Convention

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:44:02 -0700

This is one of a very occasional series of non-tech essays that I call The Monday Witness. As always, the opinions expressed here are mine alone.

For those of us who are of a certain age, the 1960s were an era not to have been missed. Indeed, they were a time when idealism seemed to be a responsibility of citizenship, rather than an idle pursuit. As John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King spoke out in words that captured the heart as well as the mind, more and more fell in behind. Their goals and ideals demanded to be your goals and ideals, and a...

Detailed IEC Voting Results on OOXML Appeals

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 08:14:02 -0700

As I reported yesterday, the OOXML appeals brought by Brazil, India, South Africa and Venezuela have been rejected by the Technical Management Board (TMB) and Standardization Management Board (SMB) of ISO and IEC, respectively. I have now received the actual voting results for the IEC vote, and an indecipherable screenshot of the ISO votes. I'll hope to add the ISO votes later on when I get more comprehensible information, but in the meantime, here are the IEC results.

In each case, the questions included in the ballot were the same:

ISO and IEC Reject OOXML Appeals

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:38:16 -0700

Update: For the appeal by appeal details of the IEC Board vote, see this blog entry.

ISO and IEC have announced the rejection of the four appeals submitted by the National Bodies of Brazil, India, South Africa and Venezuela. The rejection follows on the heels of July 9th recommendation of the Secretaries General of each of the two standards organizations to their respective management boards not to give the...

A Big Day in Court for the FOSS Community

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:33:30 -0700

Today those who believe in free content and free and open source software won a major victory in court, as reported by Larry Lessig, Mark Radcliffe, and Pamela Jones, among others. The underlying facts, and the legal counsel involved, were hardly major figures on the commercial landscape: the open source software at issue - the JAVA Model Railroad Interface - had been developed by the plaintiff, Robert Jacobsen, for model train buffs under ...

Linux World 2008/Streets of San Francisco

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:25:14 -0700

The latest edition of Linux World ground to a halt in San Francisco today. I made it into town just last night for a VIP party hosted by the Linux Foundation, where I caught up with lots of true believer friends (developers, journalists and corporate supporters), and for the Board meeting today. I never made it to this year's show, though, opting instead to arrive early only to head back out of town for a few days of hiking in the hills south of town.

Or at least, that was the plan. But as it happened, the best I could manage was a few hiking esca...

Putting the Sneer Before the Scoop: Joe Nocera and Steve Jobs

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 05:14:45 -0700

Ever since Steve Jobs addressed the adoring crowds at this year's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, the press, Apple fans - and most especially, Apple investors - have been concerned over the state of his health. The reasons are obvious: Five years ago, Jobs announced that he had been diagnosed, and cured, of a rare and happily less pernicious form of pancreatic cancer (the more common variety is almost never discovered before it has become incurable). And, when Jobs took the stage this June, he was far thinner and more haggard than he had ever looked before.

Since then, although rumors have swirled, Apple has refused to st...

Whither the Knol? Google Takes a New Experiment Live

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:00:24 -0700

Back in December of last year, Google posted a brief announcement of a new experiment in online publishing. At first blush it seemed to represent a challenge to the Wikipedia - but with a few differences. Google summarized the concept as follows:

Earlier this week, we...