[LINK] Australia abstains on Office Open XML vote

[Kim Holburn]

On 2007/Sep/03, at 12:52 PM, Janet Hawtin wrote:

> On 9/3/07, Kim Holburn <kim.holburn at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> an abstention is the next best thing to a "yes,"
>>
>> <http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?
>> story=20070831151800414>
>
> http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Australian-apathy-results- 
> in-OOXML-abstain-vote-/0,130061733,339281683,00.htm

That article is a bit contradictory.

> Standards Australia has returned an 'abstain' vote on the proposal  
> to adopt the Office Open XML format standard as an International  
> Standard.
>
> The standards body, which represents Australia at the International  
> Standards Organisation (ISO), said the decision was due to a clear  
> lack of consensus and commitment throughout the development process.
>
> "The decision to abstain is the most responsible position we can  
> take at the moment and reflects the strongly held and diverse views  
> of the Australian stakeholders that have taken part in the  
> process," Alistair Tegart, Program Manager from Standards  
> Australia, said.

...

> Indifference also played a part in Australia's decision to abstain.
>
> "Due to lack of support and stakeholder commitment to ongoing  
> engagement in the International Standards development process in  
> this area it was not viable to convene an appropriate technical  
> committee," said Tegart.


On the one hand the decision was due to "indifference" and "clear  
lack of support and stakeholder commitment"  on the other the  
participants had "strongly held and diverse views".

Something smells bad about that.

Kim
--
Kim Holburn
IT Network & Security Consultant
Ph: +39 06 855 4294  M: +39 3494957443
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Democracy imposed from without is the severest form of tyranny.
                           -- Lloyd Biggle, Jr. Analog, Apr 1961