Yankees in the Court of King Arthur, with a Microsoft Agenda
ANSI/INCiTS has completed their review of Ecma 376, and is ready to cast their ISO/IEC Contradiction Review Phase Fast Track Ballot in favor of Ecma 376 being rammed through ISO. As Sam Hiser points out in his PlexNex blog, not only are the findings of contradictions, inconsistencies, and proprietary dependencies pouring into the public view, there's not much an American can do about it. ANSI/INCiTS has determined that no contradictions exist."
Hi Sam,
As a fellow American, prepare yourself for humiliation and shame. ANSI/INCiTS has decided that they will not object to MS Ecma 376 on the ISO/IEC Fast Track Ballot. This in spite of the massive compilation of contradictions and inconsistencies compiled by GrokDoc, whose members raced through the weekend just to have the document ready for the ANSI/INCiTS meetings.
Rather than confront the clear evidence of contradictions and inconsistencies, the brave hearts at ANSI/INCiTS choose to narrow the definition of what a contradiction is. And narrow it they did.
They decided that one standard contradicts another standard only if the proposed standard causes the existing standard not to work.
Sounds good doesn't it? Au contraire mon ami. This is the kind of self serving maneuvering only a bureaucrat could love.
Using the analogy of the Chinese WAPI WiFi networking standard that was defeated last year because the protocol caused radio interference with existing 801.11 networks, our standards champions came up with their mechanical interference measure of “contradiction”.
Because both files can physically exist on the same disk without interfering with each other, our champions determined that OOXML did not contradict ODF.
Maybe they thought this would go unnoticed, but as one disheartened friend of open standards pointed out, “this argument can be used for every XML format, every programming language, every operating system, in fact every software standard, since software is ultimately data, and data can be segregated on disks. So they essentially chose a definition so narrow that it nullified the concept of "contradiction" for most of what JTC1 has authority over”.
So narrow a definition of “contradiction” that you can drive a fleet of monopolist trucks through the hole they've carved out of the ISO/IEC standards process.
So here we are. The champions appointed by our National Institute of Standards and Technology to represent our interest in the International Standards process have carved out a dangerous and possibly enduring loophole in the ISO/IEC fast track process. A loophole designed to serve the interest of a single proprietary monopolist seeking to control mankind's digital future.
Sam, where do we hide?
To our friends abroad fighting desperately to preserve the integrity of international open standards, with our digital freedom and the future of open Internet on the line, we ask that they dig in their heels and fight this to the end. Those Yankees you see striding into the Court of King Arthur are not from Connecticut, and the Camelot of ISO had better beware. Stalking standards to the tune of that ugliest of all Americans, the corporation from Redmond, ANSI/INCiTS has sold our souls that the world might be fodder for Vista.
Dig in your heels friends,
~ge~
10 comments:
So, if there are no obvious contradictions (as defined by ISO and its participants), there will then be a five-month technical review and mail ballot. That seems like ample time to address technical quarrels about OOX.
I have a different question. I have been on ANSI technical subcommittees along with people from NBS (now NIST), but I am not aware of any formal connection between ANSI and NIST. Looking at the ANSI history, I can find none: http://www.ansi.org/about_ansi/introduction/history.aspx?menuid=1
Where did you get the idea that ANSI folk are "the champions appointed by our National Institute of Standards and Technology to represent our interest in the International Standards process?"
Hi orchmid,
Thanks for responding. You're comments are much appreciated, but i think we both might have to do more research. From everything i can find, NIST is exactly the federal group responsible for recognizing ANSI as the official USA representative organization to ISO/IEC.
Here's the concise quote from the ANSI FAQ Page: “... the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, has officially recognized ANSI’s role as U.S. representative to the ISO, IEC and many regional standards organizations.”
Like every good American citizen, when INCiTS slammed the door on the many independent comments submitted, i called my congresswoman. A helpful aid advised me that i should file a complaint through the ANSI Consumer Interest Forum, and follow that with a letter to NIST. These instructions are exactly consistent with the information ANSI provides on their FAQ page regarding consumer interests in ANSI activities.
Let's put this in context.
Before the GrokDoc group could begin their exhaustive and ongoing compilation of Ecma 376 contradictions and inconsistencies, they first had to figure out the ISO/IEC definition of a “contradiction”. It turns out that there is a long and well documented ISO/IEC history of actual findings of “contradictions”, and this history provides the many many variations and examples of the sought after “definition”.
INCiTS is designated through ANSI to represent my interests and that of all American citizens regarding the ISO/IEC consideration of MS Ecma 376. Microsoft, the sponsoring vendor for Ecma 376, is also a member of INCiTS. Surprise surprise, Microsoft provided their INCiTS colleagues with the narrow “contradiction” definition and “interference” reference.
INCiTS will approve the MS Ecma 376 specification for ISO/IEC fast tracking based entirely on this narrow and laughably self serving interference based definition of a “contradiction”.
This smacks of corruption of the worst kind. Even if this laughably ridiculous interference based stretch of the meaning of an ISO/IEC contradiction is accepted, what about the rest of the outrageous contradictions found in MS Ecma 376?
The fact that there is no interference between an ODf file and an MS Ecma 376 file sitting on the same disk is only one measure of the possible range of contractions INCiTS must consider as part of their required due diligence.
And these clowns claim to represent my interests at ISO/IEC!
You're damn straight i want to find out who authorized and who funds these scurrilous bureaucrats who think they are beyond accountability to anyone but their self serving cronies. As it turns out, ANSI was founded with contributions and the participatory authority of the US Departments of Defense and Commerce. NIST is a division of the Department of Commerce. Follow the money. Follow the authorization. Call your congresswoman.
What follows is a snip from the rather lengthy ANSI FAQ page.
Consumer Affairs
Q: What role do consumers play in ANSI activities?
A: A key component of ANSI’s mission is to coordinate the development of safe systems, processes and products through standards development and conformity assessment programs. Often the consumer is on the receiving end of this and therefore plays a large role in ANSI’s process.
Q: What is the Consumer Interest Forum?
A: ANSI’s Consumer Interest Forum (CIF) reviews consumer needs and plans and carries out programs to satisfy them. Its responsibilities include representing, promoting and protecting consumer interests in national standards activities. Its activities involve consumers in standards development activities by providing U.S. representation to the international community of consumer specialists for issues of consumer policy. In addition, it creates a forum for discussions of consumer issues in standards development.
Government Affairs
Q: Is ANSI a government agency?
A: No. ANSI is not a government agency and therefore it has no regulatory authority to address complaints about consumer products or services—including products or services that purport to comply with an American National Standard.*
However, ANSI does serve as a conduit for information exchange between the public and private sector. ANSI assists in the cross-communication of public-sector views to U.S. organizations and companies and private-sector views to government officials. Staff in ANSI’s Washington D.C. headquarters takes the lead in maintaining key government relationships and monitoring public policy issues in the area of standards and conformity assessment.
*If you have a complaint about a consumer product or service, you are advised to contact the appropriate federal or state regulatory body for assistance. A list of federal agencies is given on the Consumer Resources page.
Q: What role does the government play in ANSI’s activities?
A: Since the time agencies of the federal government joined the five societies as founders, the ANSI federation has enjoyed a cooperative relationship with various segments of the federal government. This is very beneficial for U.S. citizens as voluntary standards help the government fulfill its mandate to ensure public safety and health and provide sound technical solutions to today’s critical issues without creating additional cost and operations burdens.
Representatives of numerous U.S. government agencies actively participate in the activities of ANSI and its accredited bodies.Approval of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (P.L. 104-113) in the mid-1990’s also helped to encourage federal agencies to rely upon and participate in the voluntary standards and conformity assessment systems. In addition, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, has officially recognized ANSI’s role as U.S. representative to the ISO, IEC and many regional standards organizations.
Aston Villa rode their luck at Hull City where an 88-minute own goal from Kamil Zayatte saw them leapfrog three points clear of Arsenal and into fourth place in the Premier League wow gold with a 1-0 win.
Villa had to survive Hull penalty appeals for a handball against Ashley Young in time added on, television replays showing that referee Steve Bennett wow gold correctly rejected the claims after consulting a linesman.
Bennett had been involved in controversy after just five minutes when American goalkeeper Brad Friedel looked to have handed Hull the initiative and threaten Villa's return to the Champions League qualifying wow gold zone.
Friedel spilled wow gold the ball under pressure from Nick Barmby and stand-in right-back Nigel Reo-Coker turned it into his own net as he attempted to wow gold clear.
But Bennett cut short wow gold celebrations at the KC Stadium -- and let Friedel off the hook -- when he ruled out the score for an apparent infringement by Barmby.
Zayatte's intervention from a Young cross bound for wow gold Gabriel Agbonlahor then saw Villa leapfrog Arsenal and draw level with Manchester United on 38 points -- seven adrift of leaders Liverpool and four wow gold behind Chelsea.
Stung by an on-pitch dressing down wow gold by manager Phil Brown at Manchester City last week, Hull showed five changes and a vastly improved performance.
Promoted Hull were looking for only their second win in 11 games while wow gold Villa arrived unbeaten in seven and it looked to be heading for a goalless draw when the home side suffered a cruel late blow.
Premier League leaders Liverpool thrrew their "full support" world of warcraft gold behind Steven Gerrard after their captain was charged with assault on Tuesday following an incident at a local nightclub.
Gerrard, 28, and two other men were charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and affray, Merseyside police said.
They are scheduled to world of warcraft gold appear in court on January 23.
In the wake of the charges, Liverpool issued a wow power leveling statement on their official Web site.
"Steven has been an outstanding servant to world of warcraft gold Liverpool for the last ten years and the club will give him all the support he needs at this time," it read.
The offenses with which Gerrard have been charged carry cheap wow gold a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Three other men, who were also arrested, were world of warcraft gold released without charge pending further inquiries.
Gerrard was arrested cheap wow gold in the early hours of Monday morning and eventually charged after over 20 hours in police custody.
His wife Alex Curran was seen near the police station where world of warcraft gold he was held but drove off without talking to reporters.
Gerrard had been celebrating his side's 5-1 buy wow gold win over Newcastle on Sunday when the alleged altercation occurred.
He had scored two goals in the victory at St James' Park which left world of warcraft gold Liverpool top of the English Premier League and on course for their first English title in 18 years.
He was released on bail to wow power leveling appear in court on January 23 with John Doran, 29, and Ian Smith, 19, who were charged with the same offenses.
Gerrard, who has spent his entire career with Liverpool, world of warcraft gold is one of the most celebrated players in the club's history and renowned as a model professional.
In 2005 he lifted the European Cup -- Liverpool's fifth -- wow gold kaufen after a thrilling penalty shooting victory over AC Milan and turned down the advances of cash-rich Chelsea to stay with his local club.
The midfielder has also made 70 appearances for England, dofus kamas captaining his country on four occasions.
He was made an Member of the British Empire (MBE) last year and received an honorary fellowship from Liverpool's John Moores University.
Liverpool's next match is against Preston in the kamas dofusEnglish FA Cup on Saturday, a game Gerrard was due to sit out because of suspension
You said you will love me wow gold the whole life, but you marry her. You said Cheap WoW Gold you will wow power leveling,come to marry me, but this will not be carried out forever.WoW Gold I am trying my best to forget you and do not love you anymore. wow leveling But I failed and I still love you. Maybe wow leveling she needs you more compared wow leveling with me. So I tell you that world of warcraft power leveling you should love world of warcraft power leveling her and take good world of warcraft leveling care of her. You said I was so kind.world of warcraft leveling Yes, because I love you,world of warcraft leveling I hope you will be power leveling happy forever.
Do you know the warhammer gold, In here you can buy the warhammer Online gold, Do you know that the warhammer money in the game is very important, If you had more cheap warhammer Online gold . I think you can get the tall level, quickly come here to buy warhammer gold.
What do you know Pirates of the Burning Sea Gold. And do you want to know? You can get potbs gold here. And welcome to our website, here you can play games, and you will get potbs Doubloon to play game. I know potbs money, and it is very interesting.Do you want a try, come and view our website, and you will learn how to buy potbs Doubloon. Come and join with us. We are waiting for your coming.
What do you know LOTRO Gold. And do you want to know? You can get Lord Of The Rings Gold here. And welcome to our website, here you can play games, and you will buy LOTRO Gold to play game. And it is very interesting.Do you want a try, come and view our website, and you will learn much about cheap Lord Of The Rings Gold. Come and join with us. We are waiting for your coming.
aion chinaaion china gold,
aion cn goldaion chinese gold,
aion gold chinaaion gold chinese,
china aion goldchinese aion gold,
aion china kinaaion chinese kina,
aion kina chinachina aion kina,
aion china buybuy aion china,
aion chinese server goldaion cn server gold,
aion china server goldchina aion server gold,
chinese aion server goldaion chinese server gold,
aion cn server kinaaion china server kina,
china aion server kinachinese aion server kina
good post :)
I like play online game, I also buy Aion gold and Aion gold, the Aion china gold is very cheap, and use the Aion China kina can buy many things, I like Aion chinese gold, thanks, it is very good.
Post a Comment