Microsoft spin on OOXML

It's so easy to poke fun at Microsoft's futile attempts of PR spin, but I'll try to restrain myself to a few examples.

In their press release on the preliminary OOXML rejection, it is suggested that there is "strong global support" for OOXML. Tom Robertson is quoted as pointing out the "high quality of the Open XML format" and that "the results from this preliminary ballot are very encouraging".

Therefore, I'm confident that the 100+ comments from many countries are just minor problems (where such numbers were not reached, surely this is completely unrelated to e.g. Microsoft's vote buying), and that Tom is more than happy to deal with at least six more months of desperation and bad press. Well, to each his own. ;-)

Stephen McGibbon from Microsoft goes on to write in his blog that "it is very interesting to note that there is clearly more support for OpenXML already than there was for ODF", referring to a graph that shows no opposition of ODF! Did I miss something here...?

He also adds many nicely coloured charts that clearly show how committees with less or no expertise (i.e. those of non-P countries, especially the ones who have never participated before) tend to follow Microsoft's lead to a greater extent (surprise!).

Overall, I guess I could only be glad to see this fine commitment to honesty. Bravo, Microsoft! :-)