Microsoft is desperate, but it appears it isn’t going to make it. Its hopes to get the new OOXML document format certified by the ISO are fading away slowly. Here’s why:

1. Several countries have expressed their disapproval for OOXML.
2. India and more countries have officially given the middle finger to OOXML.
3. As many as 200 design flaws have been detected in OOXML.
4. Unlike what MS claims, editing OOXML documents manually makes them unreadable in Office 2007.
5. Communities opposing the OOXML appear to be way too active!
6. There are rumors that MS has already resorted to bribery and corruption inside the ISO to get their format certified.
7. The WashingtonPost has reported that MS has been forcing partners to vote in favor of OOXML.
8. Rea Maor had predicted that MS will be doomed.

Meanwhile, the OpenDocument Format(ODF) has already become an ISO standard. Infact, it is even supported by MS.The only thing that bothers me now is that poor Microsoft’s first Open initiative is a failure in the making.

By the way, why isn’t anyone thinking that this issue is getting too much attention world-wide? It might be encouraging to see MS fall, but does it really matter to us? Don’t we have bigger things to think about?