Martin Bekkelund

Friday the 28th of March 2008, Norway voted «YES» on OOXML becoming an ISO standard. This is nothing else than a scandal. Here’s why.
Some background information
In Norway, the Norwegian Standards Institute called «Standards Norway», shortened SN, is the organization that makes the decision on Norway’s official vote on what’s becoming an ISO standard. Within SN, […]

In a recent discussion with one of Microsoft’s lobbyists in my Norwegian web log, I presented some brief information on how much time is needed to implement ODF in an application.
The application I work with on a daily basis has support for importing and exporting ODF as text, ODT. I claimed that implementing ODF is […]

Up here in Norway, representatives from Microsoft keeps running around spreading the word that OOXML is implemented in several applications, among them several Apple products — or products for the Mac OS X platform — such as iWork ‘08, iPhone and NeoOffice. As an Apple user, I have an iWork ‘08 license, I have an […]

As mentioned earlier today, Norway votes no on OOXML. Since this may be of interest for others than those who speak Norwegian, I’ve translated the press release:
«Standard Norge» (The Standardization Organizations in Norway) gives a conditional yes on OOXML ISO/DIS 29500
On a principal level, «Standard Norge» is for a standard that gives the users the […]

This morning, Norway voted no to ISO certification of OOXML. I can’t be more satisfied with the result. I’ve translated the important part of the press release:
Based on these facts, and according to ISO’s directives on how a conditional yes have to be expressed, Norway will have to vote «No, with comments».
I will come back […]

On Wednesday 22nd of August, about 30 members of the «Standard Norge» (Norwegian Standards Institute) committee K 185 gathered at «Standard Norge’s» offices, just outside Oslo. The occasion was to discuss what Norway will vote on the issue of standardizing OOXML as an ISO standard (DIS 29500). As a member of the committee K 185 […]

For the first time ever, I’m getting a Mac as my primary computer. A 17″ MacBook Pro, to be more specific. I’m really looking forward to it.
In the mean time, I’m looking for a nice cell phone and a collaboration application that fits the phone.

After seven years, time has come to do something different. From march 1st 2007, I have a new job as a Senior Solution Architect for a small web development agency in Oslo, Norway. My tasks will be project management, web standards and information architecture.

Once again, I’m heading off to the annual eZ publish Conference. This years conference is held in Skien, Norway, home of eZ systems HQ.

I’ve just bought the domain greatest-bits.com. If you ask me why, the answer would be “I don’t know”. Well, actually, about ten years ago, I used to call my backup CD’s “Greatest Bits”, by obvious reasons.
However, I own the domain, but have got absolutely no idea of how I should use it. Have you?