NoOOXML

Alex Brown reports that SC34 at its meeting in Norway invited ECMA International TC45 members (aka Microsoft and its OOXML development partners) to SC34:

SC34 recognizes that Ecma TC45 members have in-depth knowledge, technical expertise on ISO/IEC 29500 and will seek to preserve and allow for inclusion of this existing body of technical expertise in SC34. SC34 therefore invite Ecma TC45 members to attend and fully participate in ISO/IEC JTC 1 SC 34 Ad Hoc Group 1 as well as in any future working group that will be dedicated to the maintenance of ISO/IEC 29500. SC34 intends to organize an efficient and timely process for maintaining and handling new work items to insure the evolution of the standard in following the JTC 1 Directives.

From my perspective it demonstrates how much ISO lost control over the standardization process. It is incomprehensible that SC34 grants candy to the offender for what it did to the ISO process. The appropriate reform step to heal the wounds ECMA International has provided to the International Standards System would be to revoke their liaision status. Reforms to the ISO procedures are required but another perspective on these reforms on behalf of SC34 is given by Alex Brown. These SC34 procedural moves worsen the fact that ISO has little control over the maintenance regime and thus gets rendered irrelevant:

The ad hoc group should consider the following factors in making its recommendations to the convenor:
a) A new working group should be created in SC 34 for the purpose of maintenance of ISO/IEC 29500 pursuant to Section 15 of the JTC 1 Directives for standards maintenance.
b) Editors and editing teams should be nominated as well as mechanisms for the nomination of editors and editing teams for ISO/IEC 29500.
c) Transparency of process, consistent with JTC 1 Directives, is a goal of the recommended process.
d) Consideration should be given to how Ecma and ISO/IEC versions of ISO/IEC 29500 may be best kept synchronized.
e) The proposal should recommend ways in which onward work on ISO/IEC 29500 may be carried out in as timely a way as possible, without recourse to the accelerated mechanisms of PAS or Fast Track procedures.

In my French, ISO is to become the next ECMA International. Indeed, SC34 expects more controversy to come: The participants in SC 34 propose to shield themselves from public criticism.

We call on all organisations and individuals involved in SC 34 standardisation to … refrain from initiating or engaging in any such personal attacks.

Honi soit qui mal y pense.