Section 10. The end of the beginning

only a simple majority to be successful. (This was an administrative policy vote, not a technology vote. A technology vote requires more than a simple majority.) The balloting is interesting for two reasons. The first is the unusual number and intent of the comments by the National Bodies, which showed the ambiguity felt on this issue. The National Bodies wanted the Java technology, but were unsure that the price (acceptance of SMI as a PAS Provider) was correct or fair or even to be paid in the right currency. The second reason is that the vote by the US committee was neither to accept nor deny the SMI application, but on the reconsideration ballot to vote to affirm, or reverse a previous vote. To change a previous negative vote to a positive one needs a super majority (two-thirds of the voting members). On the US ballot, 60% of the members of the US JTC1 TAG voted to change the ballot to " yes. " However, since a two-thirds majority did not vote to change, the US position remained opposed. The issue was contentious, but the lack of understanding of the voting rules by the press further exacerbated the situation and made it substantially worse. Via a majority of the votes cast by JTC1 P-members, Sun Microsystems, Inc. is approved as a Recognized PAS Sub-mitter. Comments received from JTC1 P-members must be addressed by Sun, in consultation with JTC1, prior to submitting a PAS specification for JTC1 letter ballot. This could be done through an early submission of an Explanatory Report and related documentation (ref. Supplement 1 of the Procedures for the technical work of ISO/IEC JTC1 on Information Technology).