The Office Open XML(OOXML) document format of Microsoft has been rejected by ISO as an international document standard. MS had been trying very hard to obtain ISO certification for its format. MS had even published an advertisement to promote the OOXML in Linux for You!!

And as always, MS has failed again to please the experts. Phew.. There is some space to breathe now on the internet. But MS has never relied on the experts for its revenue. It has always targeted the Layman. If MS had targeted the experts, it would have been nowhere by now!

Anyways, OOXML is not an international standard, and the Open Document Format(ODF) of the Free Software community is an international standard. MS should better add support for the ODF in their Office Suite.

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?