Making better standards

Subject: Making better standards
From: Jonathan Stoppi <stops -at- qualum -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Sun, 14 Apr 2002 02:37:12 -0400 (EDT)


The other Jonathan (West) asks:

"if you have any experience of writing or using standards (ETSI, ANSI, IETF,IEC, ISO, CENELEC, ITU, 3GPP, ECMA etc) and have any particular gripes,thoughts, complaints or any other kinds of ideas, I would be most grateful to hear them."

Funny you should ask. In connection with my latest project - a proposal for a new national standard of mumble-mumble - I researched how ISO standards should be written. It's a sign of how sad I've become that I found the ISO/IEC's "Rules for the structure and drafting of International Standards (Part Deux)" absolutely fascinating, a special treat I couldn't wait to get home and read.

Fascinating, because while it is intended to ensure a universal model of clarity (and largely succeeds), there are many features that I respectfully prefer my own conventions as developed over nine years of tech writing on the grounds of usability and (darn it) mine are just purrtier.

Enjoy: http://www.iso.ch/iso/en/stdsdevelopers/index.html



Jonathan Stoppi
Bucks the standard
stops -at- qualum -dot- com


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