[meta] Re: Open Government Data bill (for comments)

Ryan Stanyan ryan.stanyan at gmail.com
Tue Jan 11 11:07:10 EST 2011


On Jan 11, 2011, at 10:28 AM, Jeffry Smith wrote:

> On Tue, Jan 11, 2011 at 4:55 PM, Seth Cohn  
> <sethcohn at gnuhampshire.org> wrote:
>>> On Tuesday, January 11, 2011 02:13:16 am Jeffry Smith wrote:
>>>> My recommendation would be to include (based on IETF procedures) a
>>>> requirement that any non-NH Government standard be implemented by  
>>>> at
>>>> least 2 independent programs, that can read and write the format
>>>> interchangably.  For NH Government developed ones, the final
>>>> format/specification cannot be finalized until there are at least  
>>>> two
>>>> indendent programs, to ensure that the format is, in fact able to  
>>>> be
>>>> implemented by anyone.
>>
>> While I agree this would be nice, it's the sort of specifics I'm
>> trying to avoid... that's more far policy detail than statute level.
>> I'll put it on my list of 'would be nice' changes, to see if there is
>> enough support to add, once I get general buy in.
>>
>>
> My concern is if it's not in the guidance, the policy makers will
> weasel out "OOXML is a standard so MS Office is good" (ISO 29500) -
> even though, in fact, there are NO conforming implementations (MS
> admits MS Office does NOT conform to the ISO standard).  The
> requirement for multiple implementations helps make IETF documents
> self-regulating, as it does this.  How do you know it's open?  There
> are two independant implementations of software that reads/writes the
> standard, and they can exchange information.  No need to worry about
> definitions (except related to patent/copyright).

For better or worse, this is going to have to be a policy maker  
decision.  Trying to craft legislation that specifically excludes a  
party out(almost like a bill of attainder) is going to be fiercely  
fought in the courts.  Keep it simple and start a process similar to  
the ETRM that Massachusetts has.

Also seeing as how the ISO spec for OOXML covers four separate  
documents versus ODF's one, some kind of value proposition can be  
raised.

-Ryan



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