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On Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:08:31 +0000, Stephen Green <stephengreenubl@gmail.com> wrote: > Surely... This word encapsulates one really important aspect, I think. There are personal and cultural expectations connected to documents of authority like standards, and how self-standing they are. Lets imagine four stereotypes: Mary is a Baptist from France: we might imagine that she could have a view that documents should be self-standing, complete and obvious (since that might be the attitude a from Bible believing and Code Napoleon.) Abdul is a Catholic from England: we might imagine that he could have a view that documents always need some authoritative human chain who can interpret or explain the meanings (relating to the magesterium and the Common Law). Willy is a Quaker from Japan: we might imagine that he might have a view that variation in interpretation is inevitable and to be coped with socially outside authority structures, or that truth is ineffable. Seriphina is an Orthodox Jew from New York: we might imagine that she has a very covenantal/contractual expectation about standards. (Going through every religious and legal tendency in the world is left as an exercise for the reader.) Now, of course, these are stereotypes and ridiculous (and anyone with experience would find that such imagined characteristics are inevitably disappointed), but I hope the point is clear: to some extent (and I think it is true to larger extent than people are aware of in themselves) the issue of whether reference implementations should be allowed can spring out of what we may call cultural differences (and, primarily, individual personality). Some people do view standards as essential contractual documents: someone talking about reference implementations will be treated with bafflement. And the person who thinks reference implementations just make good sense may treat with equal bafflement someone coming along and talking about test suites. And the person talking about test suites may be baffled by a person talking about standards group engagement and "rulings". Cheers Rick Jelliffe
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