The Final OOXML Update: Part II

“Let’s start by casting our memories back to April, 2008. The
BRM was over. NBs had reviewed thousands of pages and submitted
thousands of defects. And Microsoft/Ecma made thousands of
responses. And the BRM approved thousands of changes. Then, as a
final step, NBs were asked if they wanted to change their vote from
their original September 2007 vote, based on the changes made to
the standard by the BRM.

“Curiously, NBs were asked to make their final decision without
actually seeing the text of the standard they were being asked to
approve. ISO leadership denied requests from several NBs, a formal
SC34 resolution requesting this text, as well as NB appeals, all
which asked to have access to the “final DIS” text that would
eventually be published. The ISO chief, in his response to the NB
appeals, called the final text of OOXML “irrelevant” (prophetic
words, indeed!) and would only permit NBs to have access to a list
of over 1,000 resolutions from the BRM, many of which gave great
editing discretion to the Microsoft consultant who would eventually
produce the final text of the specification.”

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