Seed Questions

1. One way to think about the standard setting process is to ask who should be involved. Clearly, the work is ultimately done by the individuals who make up a committee. The question is more one of the persona that these individuals should take on. It is clear from our research that people operate based on a number of motivations[29]. It is also clear that people operate out of a number of motivations simultaneously and that different standardization efforts will require different motivations. In an ideal world, how should the individuals involved in developing a standard operate? Should they attend, discuss, write, and vote as:
   1. Representatives of their profession -- as individuals who are looking to help set standards in the abstract that reflect the best technical solutions from a scientific and engineering point of view.
   2. Representatives of their organization -- as individuals who are looking to help set standards in a business environment that will provide the best competitive advantage for their organization -- be it a consumer organization or a producer organization.
   3. Representatives of their nation -- as individuals who are looking to help set standards that will provide a competitive advantage for their country.
   4. Other -- specify and argue.
2. Standard setting involves choices at the management level. Assuming that the work on a given standard is perfect, it is possible that the perfect work might be done on the wrong standard, or on the right standard but at the wrong time, or on the right standard at the right time but as a duplication of the effort of some other group doing the same work. This question has to do with the planning and coordination of the standards development effort. What is the best way to plan and coordinate the standards development effort?
   1. There should be no formal coordination. Individuals engaged in the standardization efforts are almost always aware of what their colleagues are doing and there is little chance they would not be aware of efforts that were merely duplicative. It may be the case that competition in one form or another causes ``duplication'' of effort but this is more than acceptable.
   2. Standards efforts should be planned and coordinated by the various organizations that develop them. Each will have internal mechanisms for planning, coordinating with other SDO's and monitoring standards.
   3. Standards should be coordinated at a governmental level. Either international or national bodies responsible for standardization should direct and focus the efforts of SDO's.
   4. Planning for standards should be coordinated by an industry council made up of individuals knowledgeable about the strategic plans and market goals. The development of standards should be driven more by business plans than by technological developments.
   5. Other -- specify and argue.
3. One might argue the pro's and con's of various approaches to standardization -- public specification, incremental standardization, consortial standardization, formal standardization, etc. In each of these cases, one or more aspects of the process take precedence over others. Without endorsing any form, the question below asks what is the most important aspect of a standardization process?
   1. Developing consensus. Getting all of the parties involved to buy into the final result
   2. Providing a forum in which the shortcomings and strengths of any given approach can be fully explored and verified
   3. Other -- specify and argue
4. Without addressing how a standard is developed, one might ask what is the most important outcome?
   1. Getting a standard that does something now. Timing and functionality are most critical. If it works today and is needed today it is best. If it needs to be replaced in a year that's ok, replace it. There is too much effort to get durable standards or correct standards. All that counts is that it works now and for a period of time.
   2. Getting a standard that everyone accepts. The most critical aspect of a standard is that it provides a common ground for exchange. If people don't all buy in, and some go their own way, the advantage of having the standard is far outweighed by the fact that not everyone has bought in.
   3. Getting a standard that will stand the test of time. The most critical aspect of a standard is that it have longevity and durability. Areas in which technology is changing shouldn't waste effort on standardization. Standardization is only for things that are going to be around for a long time.
   4. Getting the right standard is the most critical thing. The right standard is the standard that is needed in terms of some context or plan. It will enable other kinds of developments and not preclude experiments. The right standard is based on some assessment of the requirements that exist.
   5. Other -- specify and elaborate
5. What ``fix'' would most improve standardization? What is the single greatest problem that exists today in the standardization process that needs to be fixed? The intent of this question is to address Pareto's principle. What small effort will correct most of the problem with little cost. The rest of the fix can wait or be ignored.
   1. Abandon the commitment to international coordination. The vast majority of high quality standards are being set and refined in the US. The notion that we should coordinate in an international effort is misguided and a drag on US efforts. We are the largest market and while we should be sensitive to opening foreign markets, we should do so with our standards and stop wasting efforts to educate the world and incorporate what in the last analysis are mostly vain national efforts to impact our standards
   2. Get the government to recognize that they have to provide incentives to industry to develop the standards the country needs -- this might be done via tax incentives or subsidies or ... The key is that the industry can produce them, but the benefits accrue significantly to the nation and the consumer industries. The needs are too great to be funded out of the profits derived directly by the industries that produce the standards.
   3. Accept the fact that a number of standards have emerged over the last ten years outside of the formal efforts. Hold a one time congress on IT standardization that sets a new framework of national standards regardless of their origin, breeding, or form. Vote and establish this framework as a new base. Also make recommendations as to changes in the charge and mission of the ANSI accredited standards organizations. Accord status to any new organizations the IT Congress deems appropriate and make any necessary changes in the missions of the existing organizations.
   4. Others -- I bet there are a hundred!!
6. If there was one practice that might be done away with because of its deleterious impact on standards and standardization, what would it be?
   1. The development of standards through consortia. This practice subverts and weakens the traditional standards development process. It lets standards be set by the rich without regard for the input of those who can't afford to pay the fees required by consortia.
   2. The internationalization of standards. Standards are weakened by the process of harmonization. Where international cooperation is needed a way will be found to achieve it. Too often, sound national standards are watered down by international standards.
   3. The process of dominant players in the industry ignoring the standardization process in favor of establishing defacto or public specification standards.
   4. The process of marginal players in the industry avoiding participation in the standards development process only to use the standards after they are developed.
   5. Other -- specify and elaborate
7. If progress is to be made in overcoming some or all of the problems and issues in the area of IT standardization, who is the most appropriate leader of such an effort?
   1. The federal government through one of its agencies, e.g. NIST, the FCC, or the Department of Commerce.
   2. ANSI as the recognized private sector coordinator.
   3. X3 and T1 as the major accredited committees need to lead the effort
   4. No one should lead -- the leader will emerge through competition.
   5. Other -- specify and elaborate