Walk into any bookstore these days and you'll see several shelves full of books for "Dummies" and "Idiots" on just about every topic imaginable.
The books are popular because they tackle serious subjects in a clear and concise manner, offering an introduction to a topic that people might otherwise find daunting.
IEEE-SA knows that getting involved in standards development can be one of those daunting areas. Would you, or someone you know, be interested in a "dummy"-style book focused on standards, or on a specific technology? They could be entire books, or shorter pocket-size books that would contain high-level information that could be used again and again.
These books could be used to encourage standards development, the use of particular standards, or the growth of a particular area of technology.
Should IEEE-SA develop books or resources in this area? Let us know your thoughts!
Personally I think this could be a very good idea.
Firstly because plenty of people that is not aware of what is inside standards and may find it discouraging to have to spend even just to learn what it is all about.
Secondly the standardisation process is not well known to the general public and even to many technicians and developers.
Thirdly it could offer an opportunity to even derive suggestions for improvements or extensions to already existing standards.
In terms of support and collaboration, well I am personally interested in Software Engineering, Work-flow, Process Modelling and Management. In these areas I could contribute and provide expertise.
Best regards David Luigi Fuschi (member # 40060897)
The problem appears to me to be about understanding first rather than education first.
There is no widely accepted definition of what a standard is. There are many different views of what is a standard and what is a specification. There are also differings view of what constitutes standardization (the process of making a standard). Do consortia, formal SDOs, market, or some combination create standards?
While I quite agree that books on this subject are needed (I am working on a text book.) I think it would be useful to understand the subject before creating the book. If not, a better title might be "Dummies for Standards."
