The structure of IT standardization

■ We address the question of how best to develop standards for the information technology industry. While it may be possible to generalize our conclusions for other industry groups, the focus here is on the issues faced by the IT industries. arvin Minsky said “Anything that you hear about computers and AI should be ignored, because we’re in the Dark Ages. We’re in the thousand years between no technology and all technology.’’ [Brand 1988, p. 104] While information technology is probably in somewhat better shape than Minsky suggests is the case for AI, it is true that we are in a period of very rapid, and often unpredictable change. Bibliophiles will be familiar with the term “incunabula” as it refers to books produced between 1450 and 1500. The term more generally describes any art or industry in the early stages of development, and information technology can certainly be so described. Developments are both rapid and pervasive, and there are many indications of the rate and extent of change: