I myself have participated in ISA standards committee activities and I can tell you that what they are saying here is absolutely true. ISA works jointly with the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commision) to develop standards for automation and manufacturing. I could go on for many boring pages about prescriptive standards that describe how a technology works (like a network protocol for example), and these types of highly prescriptive standards committees can get really bogged down in vendor interests. I have personally seen technology vendors paralyze and hobble standards committees, burying standards in technical comments to prevent their progress, putting representatives on the committee that deliberately create chaos and confusion, etc. Standards are good. Standards ultimately promote choices, but it’s too easy to pervert and sabotage the standards process. The old saying in the automation business is that if you really want to screw up a standard, join the committee!! Most of the people on these committees are well meaning hardworking people that want the standard to succeed. It’s really too bad.
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