OOXML and ISO
In meeting at SIS yesterday on the standardisation of Microsoft’s OOXML file format (i.e. in principle the file format used in Office 2007) 23 new companies suddenly appeared that had not previously participated in the working group, a majority of these companies are Microsoft partners.
This sounds like the fault of the organization. In the standards groups I’ve worked with, you can’t vote unless you are in good standing. And good standing requires consistent participation. How in the world can 23 new faces show up for the first time and get to vote?