XML pioneer Robert Glushko decries how powerful interests have distorted the standards process by derailing the work of well-established standards organizations. He also contends that the standards development in governmental organizations, such as the United Nations, is a very politicized process. Glushko offer his views on the state of technology standards following revelations that Microsoft paid travel expenses of U.N. technical committee members -- a move that critics claim gave the software giant unfair influence in pressing the case for Web services over ebXML standards within the U.N.