Massachusetts' Quinn, who brought OpenDoc to the state, steps down.

Peter Quinn is stepping down. Quinn is Massachusetts' tech adviser, who recommended the state standardize on OpenDoc and reject Microsoft formats if the software giant would not support the standard. He's quitting because, it was "readily apparent that I have become a lightning rod with regard to any IT initiative," the Boston Globe reported.

"Even the smallest initiatives are being mitigated or stopped by some of the most unlikely and often uninformed parties. I view these circumstances as quite troubling because the good work laid out by the IT Commission is slowly being strangled and brought to a halt. And the last thing I can let happen is my presence be the major contributing factor marginalizing the good work of ITD and the entire IT community."

The state plans to continue with the switch to OpenDoc. Quinn has also been the subject of some  bureaucratic attacks, the Globe says.

Quinn had been the subject of a review by his current boss, Administration and Finance Secretary Thomas H. Trimarco, following a report in November that Quinn had failed to fill out the required state forms to allow his appearances at numerous out-of-state conventions in 2005, where his visits were, for the most part, paid for by convention organizers.

Trimarco's review found that Quinn had authorization to make the trips and had not violated any conflict of interest provisions.

Hmm, wonder whom those "unlikely and uninformed parties" might be?

Read much more on the situation from Dan and David.