Comments on: Going to Geneva http://it.gen.nz/2008/01/25/going-to-geneva/ Writings on technology and society from Wellington, New Zealand Wed, 02 May 2012 08:16:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: colin http://it.gen.nz/2008/01/25/going-to-geneva/comment-page-1/#comment-394 colin Sat, 02 Feb 2008 06:38:29 +0000 http://it.gen.nz/2008/01/25/going-to-geneva/#comment-394 <p>Peter</p> <p>I can't comment on how Standards New Zealand selects the members of the NZ delegation. I suggest you take this up with them.</p> <p>Colin</p> Peter

I can’t comment on how Standards New Zealand selects the members of the NZ delegation. I suggest you take this up with them.

Colin

]]> By: Peter Hewett http://it.gen.nz/2008/01/25/going-to-geneva/comment-page-1/#comment-393 Peter Hewett Sat, 02 Feb 2008 06:33:30 +0000 http://it.gen.nz/2008/01/25/going-to-geneva/#comment-393 Pleased to learn you are involved - good for you and good for NZ. One question; is the NZ delegation there to represent New Zealanders, or Microsoft? I thought it would be to represent NZ, so it is strange that an employee of Microsoft (a foreign corporate) makes up a third of the team. Pleased to learn you are involved – good for you and good for NZ.
One question; is the NZ delegation there to represent New Zealanders, or Microsoft?
I thought it would be to represent NZ, so it is strange that an employee of Microsoft (a foreign corporate) makes up a third of the team.

]]> By: colin http://it.gen.nz/2008/01/25/going-to-geneva/comment-page-1/#comment-388 colin Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:01:17 +0000 http://it.gen.nz/2008/01/25/going-to-geneva/#comment-388 Samuel - thanks for your encouragement! I don't know exactly how many MS employees there will be in the room, but there will be a fair few. As I understand it, only Heads of Delegation get to speak or vote at the meeting, and the others are advisors to the Heads. So, for New Zealand, there is a Head who is is a Standards NZ staffer, a man from Microsoft, and me. I imagine the Head will have deal with conflicting advice on many occasions. Francis - voting at the BRM will be confined to matters of how the final draft standard should look. The whole purpose of the meeting is to agree a specification, nothing more. After the meeting, countries have 30 days to decide whether they wish to change their votes. Standards NZ has set down a process to happen through March to figure out whether it should change its vote. As far as I know New Zealand has been completely upfront about its process. Cheers Colin Samuel – thanks for your encouragement! I don’t know exactly how many MS employees there will be in the room, but there will be a fair few. As I understand it, only Heads of Delegation get to speak or vote at the meeting, and the others are advisors to the Heads. So, for New Zealand, there is a Head who is is a Standards NZ staffer, a man from Microsoft, and me. I imagine the Head will have deal with conflicting advice on many occasions.

Francis – voting at the BRM will be confined to matters of how the final draft standard should look. The whole purpose of the meeting is to agree a specification, nothing more. After the meeting, countries have 30 days to decide whether they wish to change their votes. Standards NZ has set down a process to happen through March to figure out whether it should change its vote. As far as I know New Zealand has been completely upfront about its process.

Cheers

Colin

]]> By: francis http://it.gen.nz/2008/01/25/going-to-geneva/comment-page-1/#comment-382 francis Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:46:18 +0000 http://it.gen.nz/2008/01/25/going-to-geneva/#comment-382 Some of the countries have indicated how and why they will vote at the BRM. Why is NZ not upfront about this? Did Ecma not satisfy critical concerns? Or did that even matter. Some of the countries have indicated how and why they will vote at the BRM. Why is NZ not upfront about this? Did Ecma not satisfy critical concerns? Or did that even matter.

]]> By: Samuel http://it.gen.nz/2008/01/25/going-to-geneva/comment-page-1/#comment-381 Samuel Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:27:14 +0000 http://it.gen.nz/2008/01/25/going-to-geneva/#comment-381 Just a slight concern. The delegation sent by NZ, a country that opposed OOXML, is 1/3 employed by Microsoft. The delegations sent by countries who supported OOXML may have a higher proportion of MS employees. How many MS employees will be there in total? Could it become virtually an internal MS discussion with a few representatives from standards organisations here and there? Based on the NZ delegation as an example, I see a serious risk that even the discussion here may become unduly influenced by Microsoft, as many of the previous votes seemed to be. Best wishes with the meeting. Speak boldly! And make sure you know who is paying the expenses of each person who speaks... Just a slight concern. The delegation sent by NZ, a country that opposed OOXML, is 1/3 employed by Microsoft. The delegations sent by countries who supported OOXML may have a higher proportion of MS employees. How many MS employees will be there in total? Could it become virtually an internal MS discussion with a few representatives from standards organisations here and there?

Based on the NZ delegation as an example, I see a serious risk that even the discussion here may become unduly influenced by Microsoft, as many of the previous votes seemed to be.

Best wishes with the meeting. Speak boldly! And make sure you know who is paying the expenses of each person who speaks…

]]> By: Kiwiblog » Blog Archive » OOXML http://it.gen.nz/2008/01/25/going-to-geneva/comment-page-1/#comment-380 Kiwiblog » Blog Archive » OOXML Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:46:33 +0000 http://it.gen.nz/2008/01/25/going-to-geneva/#comment-380 [...] Colin Jackson blogs on the OOXML debate, as he is off to Geneva as one of three people representing NZ at a meeting of the International Standards Organisation. The standards issue has become a bit of a proxy for the wider Microsoft vs open source debate. [...] [...] Colin Jackson blogs on the OOXML debate, as he is off to Geneva as one of three people representing NZ at a meeting of the International Standards Organisation. The standards issue has become a bit of a proxy for the wider Microsoft vs open source debate. [...]

]]> By: Miraz Jordan http://it.gen.nz/2008/01/25/going-to-geneva/comment-page-1/#comment-375 Miraz Jordan Sat, 26 Jan 2008 06:18:43 +0000 http://it.gen.nz/2008/01/25/going-to-geneva/#comment-375 Congratulations, Colin. While I can't imagine that reading a specification is actually fun, it's great that you've been asked to do this. Congratulations, Colin. While I can’t imagine that reading a specification is actually fun, it’s great that you’ve been asked to do this.

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