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Open XML Moves Towards The Ballot Resolution Meeting

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Earlier today, ISO put out a press release stating that Open XML did not reach the required super-majority for approval as an international standard. The release states that 53% submitted yes votes, and 26% no. Thus, both the requirement for the 2/3 super-majority yes and the limit of no more than 1/4 no votes were not met. 

The next 6 months will be where the rubber really meets the road for the work on Open XML. The JTC-1 editor and TC45 at Ecma will be considering the comments as I have discussed repeatedly on blog entries. I have certainly heard here in comments to my posts, as well as in discussions with others around the world that the work on the comments needs to be professional and comprehensive.

At the end of the 6 months is the ballot resolution meeting (late Feb.). During the BRM, the editor will present the complete set of responses to the comments. Following that meeting national bodies will have some time (I believe it is generally around 30 days) to reconsider their votes. While this is traditionally a time where NBs who have voted "No" may change to "Yes," there is nothing that says a NB that voted either "Yes" or "Abstain" are prohibited from modifying their votes.

So the drama continues...

Comments

  • Anonymous
    September 04, 2007
    Jason, I commend you for your comment.  You're taking fast track defeat with a lot of grace.  Will there be an open transparent consideration of the comments or will that all be behind closed doors until the comment resolutions are released to the BRM?  I think a lot of good will could be recaptured by releasing proposed resolutions earlier due to the number of comments and the limited time for NB's to respond.  The pessimistic side of me expects a lot of "not going to be resolved" sorts of responses.  Also, is compatibility with Office 2007 still a primary goal or can fundamental changes to the spec occur now even if it breaks compatibility with the existing product?

  • Anonymous
    September 04, 2007
    RichL - thanks. Clearly I would like to have seen a different outcome, but this is all part of a longer process and I'm still optimistic about the work that is under way now. I hear you on the process between now and the BRM. I will write more about what I know of the next 6 months in a top-level post. Hang tight on these questions - and feel free to hold my toes to the fire when I write the longer piece  about it. :-) Thanks again. Jason

  • Anonymous
    September 04, 2007
    That's 6 months to battle a Frenzy of FUD. At least that should be enough time to correct actual errors in the spec (people apparently believe that no proposed standard is ever submitted with errors in it), clarify IP issues and so forth. I don't envy you the educational task of getting people to understand that it is neither practical nor desirable to just use ODF for Office documents or merge OOXML with ODF. And I have no idea how you get around the fact that Open XML has in many quarters been held to a different standard (so to speak) than ODF.

  • Anonymous
    September 04, 2007
    Jason, I, too, want to thank you for your straightforward response to the voting results.  It is quite encouraging.  As for the BRM, I am eager to see the results and the creative and constructive resolutions to some of the comments.  I fully hope and believe that a better standard will emerge, which will be to everybody's benefit.  I do, of course, hope that the process is open and transparent, mostly because I strongly believe that given any particular issue raised, there may be multiple resolutions, and that eliciting responses from everybody may result in a better resolution than just those suggested by a small group.  In any case, best of luck to all of those trying to wade through the comments to find good solutions.  Some will likely be minor, and many will likely be duplicates, but there are some that will require every bit of innovation and creativity you can conjure up, I suspect.

  • Ben Langhinrichs
  • Anonymous
    September 04, 2007
    Even if disappointing, this isn't a bad outcome.  With the numbers of comments received, it is evident that a very thorough review has been made and that resolution of the comments will result in as clean a document as can be considered.  While the publicity can be considered bad, the attention it creates on the technical content is good. A rough weekend all the way around but it is very important that:
  1.  Standards driven consensus remain the way the technology of the web evolves, so injuries to the ISO and other organizations are unacceptable outcomes.
  2.  That there be at least two standards to choose from particularly as mandates for procurements force some markets to choose only from standard technologies.  Where there is already a supermajority for one technology, it is vital that this technology be supported by an open standard. The issue of choice is fundamental. BTW:  that is the first time I've read the disposition of the email situation.   That was handled well even if an unfortunate event.

  • Anonymous
    September 04, 2007
    The voting has closed on the Open XML ballot, and ISO has issued a press release that explains the outcome:

  • Anonymous
    September 04, 2007
    Your gracefulness in accepting a setback (it's not a defeat in anyway) is a breath of fresh air compared to MS's PR department spin. [I don't blame them, that's their job]

  • Anonymous
    September 04, 2007
    Thanks all for the kind words. Much appreciated. From what I can tell at this point it will take the full 6 months of hard work not only from the committee directly engaged on the spec, but from people who will be involved in the review of that work as well. Ben, you raise a really interesting point. I think there needs to be some clarity around transparency and openness. This is the highly formalized world of standards. The real work gets done in committees. There is much to be discussed around the transparency of that work which may be differen than what many may feel "open" should be. I will talk about this much more over the coming weeks and months on this blog, but it will be important for folks to keep this in mind as the process continues on its path. Jason

  • Anonymous
    September 04, 2007
    Jason, I too appreciate your clear and direct (no spin) discussion.

  • Anonymous
    September 04, 2007
    Jason - I admit I know little about the committee system in the standards world.  I imagine a fair amount has to be decided behind closed doors, but that doesn't mean committee members can't look for ideas/inspiration outside the committee, does it? - Ben

  • Anonymous
    September 04, 2007
    Ben - It would seem even seasoned standards veterens are learning in this process. :-)  I think it is fair to say that the comments represent significant outside input in and of themselves. Jason

  • Anonymous
    September 04, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    September 04, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    September 04, 2007
    Asa au votat membri ISO, conform comunicatului oficial . E vorba (din nou) despre Office Open XML, care

  • Anonymous
    September 04, 2007
    Perhaps ODF has been "held to a different standard"" because it passed ISO consideration the first time, with zero votes of "no", and virtually zero comments, which therefore didn't mandate a BRM session. I guess those 3 years spent with OASIS working to make it a solid spec were worth something.

  • Anonymous
    September 05, 2007
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  • Anonymous
    September 05, 2007
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    September 06, 2007
    Oh, please. How can you even complain about Italy? That is just rich. Is this the same Italy where Uninfo membership over OOXML suddenly shot from 5 to 83 members just prior to the vote? Many of which were Microsoft business partners and voted yes without reserves, just barely missing the 2/3 mark?

  • Anonymous
    September 06, 2007
    The comment has been removed