Rules altered in OOXML standardization process

ISO delegates working to standardize Open Office XML created new rules on the fly to cover the fact they failed to discuss nearly 80% of the 1,100 questions submitted about the document specification format because they ran out of time during their five-day meeting in Geneva.

Delegates from 32 national delegations that attended the ISO’s five-day Ballot Resolution Meeting (BRM) decided to abandon the required individual review of 900 of 1,100 comments – or dispositions – that were filed concerning OOXML. Those comments were filed as part of the ISO’s Sept. 2 preliminary vote for approval of OOXML, which went against the Microsoft-developed and ECMA approved document format. The delegates went on to approve the proposed changes.

The move was a significant deviation from ISO/BRM rules which call for each proposed disposition to be reviewed and a consensus to be reached on a resolution. The purpose of the BRM is for national bodies to resolve their difference with the specification and build consensus. The BRM process allows national standards bodies to discuss the issues so they can review and potentially reconsider their votes made on Sept. 2.

The BRM, however, is not a final vote on standardization of OOXML - called DIS 29500 at ISO. Delegates have until March 30 to cast their deciding vote.

“I have been doing standards work for 25 years and I have never been through a BRM like this,” said Frank Farance, head of the U.S. delegation. “We made good progress on 20%, but virtually everything we were able to approve this week needed review, so it is highly likely that the other 80% would have required some degree of editing.”

Farance said: “a lot of rules were made up on the fly,” after the delegates realized it was mid-week and their task was only 20% completed. “We were able to get some things corrected, but it was sort of like putting your finger in a dike and then seeing another hole and then another hole.”

Farance says in other BRMs he has been involved in 100% if the comments have been reviewed and resolved. The ISO Fast Track that OOXML was on called for a five-day BRM meeting on the 6,000 page specification.

Microsoft officials disputed the assumption is that the comments have not been looked at before or reviewed by national bodies or ECMA, which proposed answers to the comments in December and January.

Before the BRM, Microsoft and ECMA have the opportunity to respond to specific questions contained in the dispositions submitted by the ISO’s voting members.

But even though ECMA has been answering concerns, no changes to the specification can be made until approved at the BRM, according to ISO rules.

“The discussions that happened this week were on the issues the national bodies cared most about, the outstanding issues, and that discussion was – I wasn’t in the room – but I understand that it was robust and that a lot of changes were developed,” said Tom Robertson, general manager for interoperability and standards at Microsoft.

“It is more accurate to say this dialogue has been taking place, it is incorrect to say the discussion during the BRM is the only time these issues have been considered. They have been considering them for weeks, for months,” said Robertson.