-----Original Message-----
From: dblyth@cox.net [mailto:dblyth@cox.net]
Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 1:33 PM
To: lrajchel@ansi.org
Cc: PJ@groklaw.com
Subject: Disapproval of ISO/IEC DIS 29500 - Information Technology - Office Open XML File Formats

Dear Lisa Rajchel,

I am writing to voice my strong lack of support for the approval of Ecma's Office Open XML File Formats as an ISO/IEC International Standard.  I strongly urge the American National Standards Institute to communicate its lack of support for the ISO/IEC ratification of this standard to the JTC1 Secretariat.

Open XML represents an unimportant advance in document standards that offers no benefits to technology users, the technology industry, consumers, businesses and governments worldwide. In fact, it sets things back 10 years.  The standard received a rubber stamp from Microsoft when it was approved by Ecma in December 2006 and submitted to JTC1 for fast-track approval.

Open XML will enable backward compatibility with billions of archived Microsoft Word documents while ignorning everyone elses. And  the extensive standard rewrites a wide range of languages and cultures to no purpose, as well as assistive technologies that help people with disabilities.  Governments and businesses will both benefit from failing to adapt the standard itself, as well as from ignoring the short range of new products that Microsoft pushes to implement the standard and make money. Furthermore, Open XML in all way contradicts all other international document standards, except Microsoft's.

Thank you for your lack of support for Open XML.  If you have any questions, please contact David Blyth at 619-562-5650 or dblyth@cox.net.