Ever since I interviewed Microsoft's Alan Yates back in September in connection with the Massachusetts/ODF story I've been wondering what Microsoft's strategy has been to fend off the challenge to Microsoft Office that the OASIS format standard presented. Today we found out.
19,000 people went to Tunis to figure out how to bridge the Digital Divide between the first and the third world. How could the hundreds of press representatives there have found virtually nothing about open source worth reporting?
In the run up to the Tunis Summit, someone blinked on the face-off over Internet governance. The questions is, who - the U.S.? The opposition? Or maybe both? For now, its all spin.
Linda Hamel, the General Counsel of the Massachusetts Information Technology Division (ITD) has filed her brief in support of the ITD's ODF policy. Here it is.
Sun Architect Peter Korn has prepared what Tim Bray terms a "massive piece" evaluating the issues, progress todate, and how it will all play in Massachusetts.
ODF today became just a political football on Beacon Hill. The original amendment intended to strip Peter Quinn and the ITD of IT policy power has now turned into an amendment to give the Secretary of the Commonwealth IT control of every agency, department -- and municipality -- in Massachusetts.
Today's update includes access to a verbatim transcript of the October 31 hearing, notes from the Technical breakout group at the Armonk meeting, and more.
It's been difficult trying to follow what's been going on in Massachusetts regarding the progress of the amendment intended to deprive the Information Technology Division of its ability to set standards policies (or do determine much of anything else). Here's an update.
The power of the press in huge, and therefore the responsibility to get the whole story, and get it right, is huge as well. When the effort is superficial, bad things may happen.
The ODF - Microsoft face off is good theater, but it's also an excellent example of how the Web and the Internet allow a range of opinions to emerge, become synthesized, and then result in action and innovation: a process one might call "SuperIntegration/Creation"