[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] Re: standards body parallel
The openness of a working group has less to do with policy and more to do with the operating style of that group. Undoubtedly the chairs have the biggest influence in this. If we look at why Jon Bosak was so successful with handling XML, it is surely not because of the procedural rules of W3C or his beloved Roberts Rules, but because of his personal geniality, focus, respect-giving and ability as a diplomatist. The personal dynamics of groups means that members take turns being prosecutor, witness, defendent and jury. Whenever a group gets to a certain number of opinionated people, the chair has to throttle discussion based on the credibility or "constituency" of the individual. In that way, the chair's human response to dominating players affects things in ways that procedure can only minimize. The URI mailing list had over 1700 emails, and ended up at the same result that the W3C-internal list had reached half-way through its life. Mere mass involvement does not necessarily improve things, and in fact it can hide that standards making is a political process in which power (market, expertise and personal) plays a role. "Opening up the process" may just mean the substitution of one favoured group with another (i.e. the opinionated taking over from the rich.) Cheers Rick Jelliffe
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