ABSTRACT: WHAT MAKES A GOOD STANDARD SETTING ORGANIZATION GOOD?

Andrew Updegrove

1/01/2005
(Original Publish Date: 2003)

The modern technology-based world is increasingly dependent on the global standard setting infrastructure. That infrastructure incorporates many types of commonalities besides specifications, and is made up of diverse processes, from internationally and nationally recognized standard setting bodies, to established consortia, to transitory fora, to open source projects. All are essential to the result, and the output of this infrastructure would be better coordinated and more useful if the value of each evolved process were recognized and supported. Any effort by Congress to favor only the official standard setting bodies over other types of processes is therefore counter productive and likely to be ultimately harmful.