Re: [oiic-formation-discuss] MARBUX POINT OF ORDER, OBJECTION, AND SUGGESTIONS No. 1

[marbux <marbux@gmail.com>]

On Sat, Jun 14, 2008 at 9:19 PM, Shawn <sgrover@open2space.com> wrote:
> marbux wrote:
>>
>> I assume this was just an accidental hit on the send button because it
>> merely quotes portions of what Ms. Jones said before.

Miss Jones and I have both discussed the mixup in other posts.

> Regardless, I do not see her request for a little civility to be out of
> place.  How was it my mother put it.. oh yes.. "If you don't have something
> nice to say, don't say anything at all".  I Think that can easily apply
> here.  With or without the subtleties...
>
> I for one am happy to try to remain polite (I'm a Canadian after all.. :) ).
>  But I can politely and/or firmly disagree when needed.

I have been polite as I can be under the circumstances by being candid
about unlawful behavior. Had you spent the time I and effort I have
battling for file formats designed for interoperability and served
some time on the OpenDocument Technical Committee, you would realize
that collegiality in standards work is often a mere facade for agents
of 800-pound gorillas executing anti-competitive and illegal agendas.
Telling someone that they are acting illegally or reprehensibly is not
impolite. It is a courtesy that gives them the opportunity to correct
their behavior.

I also know that from many years of major litigation that rights are
forfeited if objections are not made forcefully. As is often said, the
price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Rights must be exercised or
they are lost.

I am building a record of abuse of rights and responsibilities here.
Should someone else care to litigate such issues later, such as an
antitrust prosecutor or a competitors' lawyers, there will be a record
that abuses were brought to the attention of people who committed them
in time for them to correct their illegal acts.

OpenDocument and OOXML did not become the interoperability messes that
they are because people respected the law. May I suggest that you read
one of the pages that I linked? including at least the first footnote.
<http://www.universal-interop-council.org/node/4>. It might give you a
different perspective on what is going on in this meeting. There are
feasible means to clean up the interoperability mess, but they are
being ignored in favor of an ambiguous Charter that that does not even
target round-trip interoperability within our lifetimes. .

Whether you realize it yet or not, you are swimming with sharks at
this meeting. One must ward them off or be bitten.

Best regards,

Paul E. Merrell, J.D. (Marbux)


-- 
Universal Interoperability Council
<http:www.universal-interop-council.org>