GeekPAC

I was thrilled to get a response from assemblymember Ira Ruskin:

Dear xxxxxx:

Thank you for your letter supporting AB 1668, requiring the use of open-document software by state agencies.

I believe there are advantages to state agency documents being available in an open-document format. Allowing Californians easier access to state documents creates a government that is more accountable to its citizens. Should this bill come before for a vote, I will take your views into consideration.

If you have further concerns, please contact me.

Sincerely,

IRA RUSKIN

Assemblymember, 21^st District

Wow, I just came across some really forward-thinking statements from a company in 2003 on the topic of open standards. Can you name this company?

• An open standard is a publicly available specification which details certain technical functionality that may be implemented in different products and services. It is adopted in an open, consensus-based process and must satisfy other criteria for transparency, ease of access, and broad implementation as described below.
• Open standards exist to facilitate interoperability and data exchange across various products and services in a marketplace of multiple, competing implementations, while ensuring that certain minimum requirements are met.
• Other types of standards (e.g., “proprietary standards”) and market-based mechanisms exist and are currently used to facilitate interoperability. However, open standards ensure the highest level of interoperability across the widest range of competing products and services.

The company? Why, Microsoft, of course! Thanks to Stephen Walli (emphasized text above is his) for finding the document from 2003. Also, see Slingshot and Matt Asay’s blog post about Microsoft’s current efforts against all of the open standards legislation.

It would appear that Microsoft is just presenting whatever argument is convenient at the time. When they issued the statements above, they were knee-deep fighting against proposed bills that would favor open source software. Now that the bills have shifted to open standards, Microsoft’s arguments have also shifted.