Open Letter to Bill & Melinda Gates

Is this true?!?!? Is this the light that you wish to see you philanthropic efforts bathed in?!?!?

Quoted from Wiki.linux-delhi.org

Using NGOs to Push Agendas

The extent to which Microsoft can go in its efforts to get OOXML is interesting. Microsoft has "persuaded" several non-profit organizations to bombard the Indian IT Secretary and the Additional Director General of the Bureau of Indian Standards with letters supporting its OOXML proposal. A copy of the form letter they have been circulating to NGOs is given below. Somebody should interview these NGOs to see how much they really know about OOXML and open standards.

The sequence of events leading up to the spamming of GoI? is:

Letter from an NGO thanking Microsoft (name changed to protect their identity)

I'd like to thank you personally, and on behalf of XYZ, for Microsoft's invaluable contribution to the cause of XYZ in India. The grant will go a long way in enabling XYZ to enhance our productivity, efficiency and impact. Apart, of course, from permitting us to deploy the money saved to programmes. I do hope you can find the time soon to visit a XYZ-supported project to see your contribution in action.

Mail from Microsoft India's Corporate Social Responsibility group to the NGO

As per our discussion please find attached the draft letters -­ please cut/edit/ delete and change it any which way you find useful. Also attached is the list of NGOs who have sent the letters. And attached is also a document that details wht (sic) this debate is all about. Look forward to hear from you in this regard. In case you decide to send the letters, can you please send me a scan of the singed (sic) letters that you send out. Thanks this will help me track the process.

Thanks

Form letters on OOXML sent by Microsoft to NGOs

To

Mr. Jainder Singh, IAS
Secretary
Department of IT
Ministry of Communications & IT,
Electronics Niketan
CGO Complex
New Delhi - 110 003

Respected Sir

Please write a paragraph about your organization

Please paraphrase "We support OXML as a standard that encourages multiplicity of choice and interoperability giving us the ultimate consumer the choice. * recognizes that multiple standards are good for the economy and also for technical innovation and progress in the country, especially for smaller organizations like us, who require choice and innovation"

Please write about your work

Please paraphrase "*** also supports OXML as this does not have any financial implications thus releasing our resources for welfare and development of society."

Thanking You

Yours Faithfully

Name Designation

---

To

Mr. Rakesh Verma, IAS
Additional Director General
Bureau of Indian Standards
Manak Bhawan
BSZ Marg
New Delhi

Respected Sir

Please write a paragraph about your organization

Please paraphrase "We support OXML as a standard that encourages multiplicity of choice and interoperability giving us the ultimate consumer the choice. * recognizes that multiple standards are good for the economy and also for technical innovation and progress in the country, especially for smaller organizations like us, who require choice and innovation"

Please write about your work

Please paraphrase "*** also supports OXML as this does not have any financial implications thus releasing our resources for welfare and development of society."

Thanking You

Yours Faithfully

Name Designation

---

So some, if not all of these NGOs are beneficiaries of cash inputs from MS' Corporate Social Railroading^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H Responsibility arm. I'd really be interested in answers to these questions, anyone up to asking them?

• How many letters supporting OOXML has the Government of India received from NGOs in the recent past?
• How many of these NGOs have received cash inputs (directly or indirectly) from MS?
• How many of these NGOs can sit across a table and discuss OOXML?
• How many of these NGOs can enumerate the benefits of OOXML over, say, ODF for their own organisations?

When I consider the recent case in Sweden where MS actively offered ``Marketing Contributions'' to its business partners to vote for OOXML (http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136599-c,companynews/article.html), and look at the scenario in India, I'm tempted to draw unflattering (to MS) conclusions.

-- RajMathur - 27 Feb 2008