Consortium Standards Bulletin: The Balkanization of Standard Setting

“A recurring question that underlies the legitimacy of modern
standard setting methods is this: ‘What is a standard?’

“Almost immediately the definitional process becomes complex,
and even contentious. Is the Microsoft Windows operating system a
standard, or not? In other words, should we judge a specification
only by the process that created it, regardless of its uptake (or
the lack thereof), or is success the more important criterion? Most
people resolve this conundrum by adding a results oriented
modifier, calling widely-adopted commonalities like Windows a ‘de
facto standard.’

“But what about process-based ‘standards…?'”

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