Re: [boost] [any] new version

Subject: Re: [boost] [any] new version
From: Bronek Kozicki (brok_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-09-17 12:10:12

On 17/09/2011 13:42, Alexander Terekhov wrote:
> Bo Persson wrote:
>>
...
>> Yes, that might be the problem.
>>
>> For some reason the free standards seem to have a SINGLE sponsor.
>> Wonder why?
>
> The names I mentioned are listed as ECMA ordinary members
>
> http://www.ecma-international.org/memento/ordinary.htm
>
> and that doesn't prevent all of ECMA standards to be free of charge for
> downloading.
>
> I never understood why C++ committee members do not want to simply get
> rid of ISO for development and develop under ECMA with fast tracing to
> ISO finished ECMA standard...

simple really. ECMA is commercial organization with high membership fees 
(which explains why they can afford to give away standards). Its role is 
mostly rubber-stamping standards agreed internally by the member(s) and 
so the quality varies by a large degree. The are no panels of technical 
experts, the process is only as open as convenient to member 
organizations and takes no, or very little, external input. You probably 
wouldn't be able to contribute to ECMA work in any manner if not 
employed by a member organization. Due to fees involved few small 
organizations are involved in ECMA.

ISO is international organization whose members are national 
standarization bodies, membership fees (if any) are smaller than in ECMA 
and quality of standards is uniformly higher. It is possible for both 
individuals and small organizations to contribute to ISO work. Of course 
it may look differently in different countries, depending on bureaucracy 
surrounding any particular national standarization body, but in general 
the process is open and works. Few bother to actually contribute to ISO 
(majority just whine), but some do and their work is not ignored.

Having said that, I agree the price for a copy of C++ 2011 standard is 
much too high and was happy to learn it's going to be much lower by 
2012. If you don't want to buy it from American standarization body, go 
to your national one and ask if you can contribute to work of ISO/IEC 
committee JTC1/SC22/WG21 - technical experts have free access to 
relevant ISO documents, including copy of standard.

B.

PS. just this one post in case someone read Alexander's post and 
wondered "yes, why?"