[Linux-aus] [Osia-discuss] Re: Standards Australia OOXML technical committee meeting

[Glen Turner]

On Wed, 2007-12-12 at 18:04 +1100, Jeff Waugh wrote:

> I certainly knew about it before then. I think most of your concerns come
> from a lack of understanding and involvement in the standardisation process
> in general. No disrespect, it's just that (for all its warts), you can't
> expect to jump into a fairly complicated, bureaucratic process and be 100%
> on top if it straight away. Large companies have people dedicated to this
> crap.

I served on IEEE Ethernet in the First Mile committee and the
IETF iSCSI working group.  Those processes were not characterised
by the same process issues as the ISO Fast Track process for
OOXML.

> That's actually the biggest problem with this whole thing. We're the little
> people in the middle of an ugly, nasty war between two (or more) companies
> that are using standards as industrial weapons in the marketplace.

Like that isn't the case with EFM or iSCSI.  In the IEEE 100GE committee
we're currently seeing a show-down between the manufacturers of telco
gear and the manufacturers of data networking gear.  But the IEEE has
processes in place which seem to be coping and no one doubts the
resulting standard won't be technically acceptable.

Neither of those standards bodies behaved in the disorganised fashion
of the ISO Australia National Body has with OOXML.

For example, what are the criteria for OOXML moving forward through
the Australia NB?  The process is NB-specific, but Standards Australia
have no documented process for moving from the Ballot Resolution Meeting
to the determination of the Australia NB vote.

It's well time Standards Australia's behaviour is bought to the
attention of the Commonwealth.

Cheers, Glen