Open Standards: Standards Today Bulletin, April-May 2008
Standards Today – sponsored by Gesmer Updegrove LLP – is a source of news, ideas and analysis relevant to those that develop and use standards.
EDITOR’S NOTE: ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE
For centuries, the life of the author, inventor or researcher has largely been solitary rather than collaborative. Just another one of those cases where the Internet really is changing everything.
EDITORIAL: PATIENCE AND THE POSSIBILITIES OF COLLABORATIVE EXPRESSION
The full potential of the Internet to act as a platform for the sharing of content and information is only beginning to be explored. Many are embracing that potential, using innovative tools such as open source and Creative Commons licenses. Others would circle the wagons to prevent their content from being more widely reused than in the past. It may be that they have the most to lose if they are successful.
FEATURE ARTICLE: “OPENNESS” AND THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE
Until the advent of the Internet, the acquisition of knowledge was a slow and linear process of discovery/review/publish/read and start the cycle once again. The legal system that evolved to support that process ranked the rights of creators over users, because society lost little in the bargain. Today, the Internet has upset that equation, and creators of all types are voluntarily relaxing their ownership rights in order to mutually enjoy the benefits of greater access, faster development, and more useful collaboration.
STANDARDS BLOG: INTRODUCING THE HAGUE DECLARATION
A new non-profit called the Digital Rights Organization has been founded to promote “free and open standards.” Its first public act was to issue a declaration calling on governments everywhere to protect the standards upon which our human rights depend.
CONSIDER THIS: ALL STANDARDS ARE CREATED EQUAL (BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS)
Standards are the bullies of the design world, always telling every other part of a plan what it has to do. But everyone has a boss, and even standards sometimes have to kowtow to an Alpha Standard.
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