Public Standards

Introduction

Public standards are public, i.e. there is no fee or obligation connected to the use of the standard. Nevertheless a standard remains the intellectual property of the organisation or person that has conceived the standard. Standards are subject to improvements. After an improvement or extension the release, version or update must be changed. This will ensure that standards remain unique and distinct, like an ISBN. It prevents confusion about the contents of a file.

Changes  

If you think that a standard needs an update, there are two options.

  1. Contact the organisation that has conceived the standard and try to convince them that your update is needed.
  2. If the person or organisation rejects your proposal, derive a new standard, based on the old standard you wanted to improve. Give it a new distinct name and add your improvement.

ad. 1. If a standard is conceived and maintained by an organisation, this organisation has the right to make changes. When an alteration has been implemented, the release, version or update must be changed. Anyone can still use the previous version(s) of the standard. Nobody else is allowed to change the release, version or update of the standard. where is written "organisation" one may read "a public person" as well.

ad 2. It will depend on the reaction of the organisation which maintains the contents of a standard whether you will start a standard of your own. E.g. if you have proposed to add a column with the concentration of Hydrochloric Acid to a pore pressure file, it is not likely that your idea will be accepted. Nevertheless it may be brilliant for your situation, so you can start a new standard, with a different name.