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> By participating in some n of successful and
> failed standards efforts in a knowledge domain
> in which they are competent.
So in each generation we need to create a few unsuccessful standards, in
order to train the people who will create the successful ones of the future?
Quite honestly, I don't think any failures of standards that I know of can
be put down to the incompetence or amateurism of individuals. Teams, yes:
two highly competent individuals pulling in opposite directions is not a
good formula. And a match of people to the task: sometimes you want
thoroughness and sometimes you want it cheap and cheerful.
But mostly, it's down to getting the requirements right. ODA and X.400
delivered all the requirements that people said they needed, and then the
same people went out and bought something cheaper. The engineers who did the
work were highly competent and professional, it was the companies funding
them who got it wrong.
Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/
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