jharkins@sagpd1.UUCP (Jim Harkins) (03/17/90)
In the March issue of Computer Language PJ Plauger mentions one problem the X3J11 committee had was a lack of "standards setting" experience amongst the committee members. He likens it to moving a piano, people move a piano either 0 or 1 time. Most move one 0 times, and those who do move one swear to never move another. Same with committee's, once someone is on a committee they vow to never be on another. That rambling introduction brings me to my question. Who was on the committee and what were their qualifications? And if Joe Blow wanted to be on one what qualifications would he need? And no I am not volunteering for the next standards committee so you can stop jotting my name down right now :-) -- jim jharkins@sagpd1 "My son beat up the Citizen of the Month at Gage elementry school."
barmar@think.com (Barry Margolin) (03/17/90)
In article <670@sagpd1.UUCP> jharkins@sagpd1.UUCP (Jim Harkins) writes: >That rambling introduction brings me to my question. Who was on the committee >and what were their qualifications? And if Joe Blow wanted to be on one what >qualifications would he need? In order to be on an ANSI committee you must be willing to spend $100 (or maybe it's $150) a year as a membership fee and attend meetings every few months. In order to vote your dues must be paid up and you must have attended two of the most recent three meetings. Oh, you mean *technical* qualifications! Nope, there are none. But no one without a technical stake in a particular standard would be able to sit through the meetings (it's hard enough for those of us who do). If you want to get on the ANSI committee that specifies stop light colors you're welcome to. -- Barry Margolin, Thinking Machines Corp. barmar@think.com {uunet,harvard}!think!barmar
davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) (03/18/90)
In article <670@sagpd1.UUCP> jharkins@sagpd1.UUCP (Jim Harkins) writes: | That rambling introduction brings me to my question. Who was on the committee | and what were their qualifications? And if Joe Blow wanted to be on one what | qualifications would he need? And no I am not volunteering for the next | standards committee so you can stop jotting my name down right now :-) I was on the committee for the first two and a bit years, and my only qualification was that I had been teaching C for various GE and outside companies for 3-4 years, and had been doing a lot of portability work in the company. I left the committee because the time it required distressed my management, and the group I was in at that time was not charged with that kind of work. If there is another standard I expect to be on the committee again, since I'm now in the right group. As far as I know the only real qualification is working for a company which will pay $300/year and T&L. For most of the ttime I was there I was one of only two "C users" who didn't work for a company which sold a C compiler. -- bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen) sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc "Getting old is bad, but it beats the hell out of the alternative" -anon