In other words, the ISO standards people who are active are using the IETF
model.
The time limit for moving proposals to the final DIS stage has
been reduced [though it's still too long] and there is a mood within ISO
delegates to get the process moving more rapidly. There are still
problems with the copyright status of ISO Working Drafts and Committee
Drafts, but there is a lot of willingness to see these drafts disseminated
widely so that comment can be gathered from all stakeholders.
Stakeholders is SUCH a loaded term.
In other words, while there is still a way to go, my perception from the
TC 46 meetings is that the ISO and IETF cultures are starting to converge.
We should welcome and encourage this.
Converge on the IETF model. That which I fear most is the IETF picking up
on the more bogus aspects of the ISO model: voting, attendance for attendances
sake, national interest overriding technical merit, erosion of the free-to-air
principle, inductance of commercially motivated outcomes.
I too participate in an SAA WG, and my experience to date as a sleeper is that
making people who come from the ISO world understand that if it can't be stated
in ASCII, it may not be worth stating is very very hard. The predominance of
proprietary WP markup and bad on-the-wire encodings in mail is unbelieveable.
-George
-- George Michaelson | connect.com.au pty/ltd Email: ggm@connect.com.au | c/o AAPT, Phone: +61 7 3834 9976 | level 8, the Riverside Centre, Fax: +61 7 3834 9908 | 123 Eagle St, Brisbane QLD 4000