<div>Well I'm impressed by the press release and story behind article and have to agree this is a very important topic, I need to re-read this and become more familiar with issues. </div>
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<div>Quick question but do you know how the BSI approve fast tracking and are you suggesting they have been given a brown paper bag full of 50s from MS. What would there motivation be for doing this when there are already 1000 comments? </div>
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<div>-Mark<br><br> </div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 08/04/2008, <b class="gmail_sendername">Alain Williams</b> <<a href="mailto:addw@phcomp.co.uk">addw@phcomp.co.uk</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">What has kept me busy recently.<br>This is important for users of free software<br><br>******<br><br>Press Release -- Tuesday 8 April 2008<br>
<br><br><br>Last week the BSI (The British Standards Institution) decided to approve the<br>fast tracking of the Microsoft sponsored OOXML format (DIS29500).<br><br>UKUUG is concerned that this decision is against the public interest for several reasons:<br>
<br>* The current draft attracted over 1000 unique comments (i.e. corrections), of<br> which the largest list (635) was from the BSI itself. How does the BSI then<br> approve fast-tracking, in the absence of a revised draft?<br>
<br>* Accepting an unfinished draft into the fast track standards route can only<br> serve to harm the sector to which the standard will apply, as well as<br> undermining wider faith in the standards bodies who are allowing this to happen.<br>
<br><br>* Given the absence of a single implementation of the standard (Not even<br> Microsoft are willing to state when they'll implement it) it seems hard to<br> justify the fast tracking on the basis of urgent market need.<br>
<br>* Rejection of the Fast-track is not rejection of the standard. If this<br> standard were put on the slow track, there would then be time for all involved<br> to examine the 6000+ pages in the detail that such an important standard needs<br>
if we are to rely on it into the future.<br><br>* To be fast-tracked a proposed standard needs a high level of consensus, whereas<br> OOXML has been marked by high levels of controversy.<br><br>That being the case, the UKUUG is seeking legal advice on how best to proceed in<br>
order to convince the BSI to reconsider its decision and instead raise an<br>objection to the fast-tracking of the standard within the 2 month window allowed<br>by the ISO.<br><br>Alain Williams, Chairman of UKUUG, said:<br>
<br> "We are very disappointed that BSI has chosen to take this decision against<br> the advice of its technical committee. The format used for storage of documents<br> will affect our lives for decades to come, and it is imperative that standards<br>
such as OOXML are given a rigorous review rather than being rubber-stamped by<br> the BSI. Where would we be if the original Magna Carta was unreadable ?"<br><br>Previous proprietary document formats have become difficult or impossible to<br>
read within little more than a decade. There is no reason to believe this trend<br>will not continue if allowed so to do. Without open standards for our documents<br>we are likely to inflict a 'digital dark-ages' on our descendants when they<br>
discover that they are unable to read any of the sources for their history, such<br>as Government records, acts of Parliament, property title deeds, scientific<br>research papers, and family histories. They will not forgive us if we fail to<br>
act to protect them now, but instead allow another generation of poorly<br>specified proprietary standards are allowed to become widely adopted.<br><br>UKUUG calls on all that share our dissatisfaction with the BSI, to join us in an<br>
effort to save them from their folly, and so ensure that lasting harm is averted.<br><br>-- ENDS --<br><br><br>Editor's Notes:<br><br>UKUUG is the UK's Open Systems User Group, for people who care about open IT<br>
standards and the systems that implement them. UKUUG promotes education and<br>understanding through its newsletter, regular briefings and conferences. It is<br>independent of any industry groupings and not-for-profit. It values<br>
intelligence, thoughtfulness and long-term thinking rather than immediacy and<br>froth.<br><br>BSI: Since its foundation in 1901 as the Engineering Standards Committee, BSI<br>Group has grown into a leading global independent business services<br>
organization. The Group now operates globally through its three divisions: BSI<br>British Standards, BSI Management Systems and BSI Product Services.<br><br>For further information about UKUUG visit:<br> <a href="http://www.ukuug.org/">http://www.ukuug.org/</a><br>
Tel: 01763 273475<br><br>For an overview of the story behind this visit:<br> <a href="http://tinyurl.com/2r3bkw">http://tinyurl.com/2r3bkw</a><br><br>--<br>Alain Williams<br>Linux Consultant - Mail systems, Web sites, Networking, Programmer, IT Lecturer.<br>
+44 (0) 787 668 0256 <a href="http://www.phcomp.co.uk/">http://www.phcomp.co.uk/</a><br>Parliament Hill Computers Ltd. Registration Information: <a href="http://www.phcomp.co.uk/contact.php">http://www.phcomp.co.uk/contact.php</a><br>
Chairman of UKUUG: <a href="http://www.ukuug.org/">http://www.ukuug.org/</a><br>#include <std_disclaimer.h><br><br>_______________________________________________<br>Watford mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Watford@mailman.lug.org.uk">Watford@mailman.lug.org.uk</a><br>
<a href="https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/watford">https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/watford</a><br></blockquote></div><br>