Speaking of Microsoft’s arrogance when it comes to following existing standards, the results of the ISO vote on their unnecessary OOXML have been leaked, and it looks like they won approval… though a number of people in the know are saying that they played fast and loose with the rules to do so.

No surprise there, they had to win in order to keep MS Office relevant to governments. Many large businesses have to use it because governments do, and many small businesses and individuals have to use it because larger businesses they deal with do. And everyone has to use Windows — Microsoft’s only other cash cow — in order to use MS Office.

MS is trying desperately to stop, or at least slow, the open-source domino effect that’s taking an ever-larger bite out of their business and profits. Winning this vote was crucial to that, so they couldn’t have played fair even if they were inclined to do so. So we’re now stuck with yet another standard, something we needed “like a goldfish needs a bicycle.”

At least MS will have to turn it over to a standards body now.

UPDATE: The EC is looking into the irregularities.