>
> I don't think it's quite fair to say that they cost nothing to produce.
The standards are usually drafted by member companies. When I worked
for Highlander Engineering, I wrote a draft submission to the OMG
(Object Management Group) in response to their Real-Time Notification
Service (for CORBA) RFP. Our customers wanted the functionality of the
COS Notification Service, but with an embedded footprint and real-time
features. We were going to create this product, and it was going to be
based on an internal design. If the OMG RFP had not existed, we would
still have designed a solution. Turning our solution into a standard
didn't cost much (as a shrinkwrap software company, we were not
tailoring a solution to one customer's needs).
> I imagine entities like IEEE have drones that sit in an office somewhere
> and answer phones, copy things, type things up, etc. They've probably
> got rent, utilities, travel budgets, etc.
>
The OMG has the same costs, but they pay for theirs with membership dues
and meeting fees. All of the final versions of the OMG standards
(CORBA, UML, etc) are available*, free of charge, at www.omg.org; the
OMG knows that their mission is to facilitate the adoption AND USE of
standards. They serve their members best by helping every company to
follow the standards.
I am not lumping IEEE in with M$ and the RIAA, but I think that they are
not acting in the best interest of their members.
--ronan
*My submission has not been voted-in as a final standard, and it may
never happen. Until it is finalized, it is only available to OMG members.
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