Standards bodies-processes and access

There are three sorts of people in the technological world, those who swear by standards, those who swear at standards, and those who are indifferent. The latter have traditionally been in the great majority, but this is rapidly changing. It is a forced change, brought about by a number of virtually irresistible developments which began about nine years ago (1989), and the number and influence of these developments continues to increase. The result is that many people who previously did not have to know about standards, now do need to. Furthermore, the new developments mean that much that was dogma in the past is now heresy, and this implies that some, already standards-conscious, people need a modicum of re-enlightenment