[comp.dcom.telecom] The Real Meaning of ISO

ole@csli.stanford.edu (Ole J. Jacobsen) (11/14/90)

Quick note: ISO does *not* stand for "International Standards
Organization".  It is *not* and acronym, but it does refer to the
organzation whose official name is: INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR
STANDARDIZATION.  This "mistake" is perhaps the most common in the
entire communications industry.  


Ole J Jacobsen, Editor & Publisher ConneXions--The Interoperability Report 
Interop, Inc., 480 San Antonio Road, Suite 100, Mountain View, CA 94040, USA
Phone: (415) 941-3399  FAX: (415) 949-1779  Email: ole@csli.stanford.edu

HWT@bnr.ca (Henry Troup) (11/15/90)

Ole J. Jacobsen writes:
 
> Quick note: ISO does *not* stand for "International Standards
> Organization".  It is *not* an acronym, but it does refer to the
> organzation whose official name is: INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR
> STANDARDIZATION.  This "mistake" is perhaps the most common in the
> entire communications industry.
 
Isn't the real "real name" in French?  Same as CCITT is "Comitte
Consulatif Internationale pour Telefon et Telegraf" (errors in French
spelling and lack of accents notwithstanding).
 
I think that the CCITT at least dates from the period where French was
the standard language of diplomacy, and therefore international
organizations used it as the official language of choice.