Office Open XML 'protests'

Although I was meaning to post something back when the Office Open XML format was approved by the ISO despite lobbying by the likes of Sun and IBM, I never got around to it but it looks like the issue is back in the news.

I was some what amused to read that the Linux/Open Source aka anti-Microsoft crowd have been protesting, yes actually protesting outside the ISO committee meeting in Norway recently. This goes on top of a large amount of activity over the last few months, even to the point of these protesters tracking down which hotels people have been staying at for meetings.

Mitchell claims that opponents of OOXML have resorted to intimidation. "People have been trying to track down what hotels people have been staying at for the BRMs [Ballot Resolution Meetings]. Many voting decisions are not taken until the day. If you've had no sleep on the night before a vote [because of noisy protests], you might change your voting behaviour," he said.

Mitchell also attacked the 'no' voters who can't justify their actions. "If people vote no or yes you would really like to know why. I have spoken to some people who've voted no and asked them why and they said 'because we don't like it'. If people are representing their country they should be able to more clearly defend what their national technological position is."

The committee even released an open letter calling for an end to "personal attacks".

Of course this doesn't come as any surprise to me, these lunatics have been around for years, I say lunatics because they are almost entirely anti-Microsoft, they read and believe far too much Slashdot for their own good. A decade ago they were protesting because Microsoft wouldn't support international standards. Now that Microsoft do support, and submit specifications to international standards bodies, they still get attacked.

Seriously guys. I'm not one to attack people who are protesting, but this is a bloody document format for heaven's sake!