🚀 go-pugleaf

enag@ifi.uio.no (Erik Naggum) writes:


>ISO standards are copyright by the International Organization for
>Standardization.  ISO depends on the proceeds from the sale of the
>standards to cover their operating costs.  They also maintain that
>electronic copies can get out of control, i.e. be tampered with and
>destroy the credibility of ISO standards, and to the advancement of the
>tamperer's causes, such as a company which isn't able to conform 100% to
>the requirements, and slightly modifies them, or removes the trickiest
>ones.  ISO standards are available from ISO headquarters in Geneva, or
>from your national ISO member body (ANSI in the U.S.).  ISO standards
>are not government publications, either.

While the above is certainly ISO's policy on the matter, it is an
unfortunately policy which is contributing to OSI's failure in the
marketplace. The free exchange of standards documents provides a
springboard for the development of compatible products.  As for the
danger of tampering, this is nonsense.  What do you think would happen
to a producer of a TCP/IP product which didn't interoperate with the
net?  Claims that their spec document was defective aren't going to
buy them a thing.  If ISO provided the documents online, the quality
ftp cites would carry them and no problems would occur.

>In summary, you should expect to spend a small amount of the money you
>save from your net.access on paper documents.

Not a small amount from what I recall.  Certainly not for a college
student seeking to explore.

James S. Vera      |         Internet           |Standard Disclaimers
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