> The original comment still makes sense: none of the fees paid to access the final document go to the original authors.
And? If the authors didn't think they got any benefits—or rather, the companies employing the authors and paying them—didn't think they got any benefit, then they wouldn't make the work on ISO standards part of their job.
Just because the benefit is non-financial does no mean there is not benefit.
People have recognized that having common standards is a general benefit to society. For a history of this see Engineering Rules: Global Standard Setting Since 1880 by Craig Murphy and JoAnne Yates (ISBN 9781421440033):
I guess what we perceive differently is how much work is "donated": I'd say most of it is (which does not make your statement untrue, but "some" implies a lesser part of it).
Nobody is doubting the need for common standards and the need to pay for them: this is why there are membership fees, and ISO has collected half of its revenue on those — https://www.iso.org/ar2020.html#section-finances. IMHO, it should optimize in a way to make its entire operations possible on that revenue (if that involves increasing fees or becoming more frugal is up to them).
I have no knowledge of the internal workings of ISO, and whether the current arrangement is absolutely necessary or just legacy/habit from the past. Perhaps a different funding model for the organization could be done.
I'm not against the standards being freely available if it can be arranged, I just find it slightly annoying that many people seem to be acting like ISO is some moustache-twirling, evil mega-corp that is exploiting the workers because it charges a fee currently.
People are bringing up facts that ISO is heavily funded by member countries (from taxes collected from their citizens), ISO standards are written by others at no cost to ISO, and yet ISO charges not-just-nominal fee for their distribution — exactly for people who "have no knowledge of the internal workings of ISO".
Nobody is acting as if they are exploiting anyone, but many are unaware of the situation above. Whether one finds that fair is up to everyone individually, but perhaps you can allow that finding it unfair is a reasonable viewpoint as well?
The original author is the company. The company doesn't get paid by ISO for making the standards, and indeed might have to pay ISO to submit the standards. ISO then pays others to view those standards. At least that's what the argument is.
The company may have employees that write the standard, that's immaterial. You're equating "Author" with "Employee" rather than "Company"
The company writes the standard because it wants the standard to exist. You're making it into a business transaction between the company and the standards body, when really it's a community interaction, beneficial in their minds for both the company and the industry. The standards body is just a facilitator for the companies which are members.
It's not supposed to be a money-making opportunity.
I find it bad because I believe they could optimize in a way to sustain the organization on membership fees itself. Eg. doubling those fees (21M CHF from membership in 2020 out of total 42M revenue) would have achieved this for 2020 without any optimization on their part.
Or they could become more frugal. Eg. simply by removing the overhead of managing *sale" of electronic documents, they could optimize at least a little bit.
Membership fees are stable, yet royalties are fluctuating. As a non-profit, they've got to end the year on 0, so they'll always spend whatever they earn.
And? If the authors didn't think they got any benefits—or rather, the companies employing the authors and paying them—didn't think they got any benefit, then they wouldn't make the work on ISO standards part of their job.
Just because the benefit is non-financial does no mean there is not benefit.
People have recognized that having common standards is a general benefit to society. For a history of this see Engineering Rules: Global Standard Setting Since 1880 by Craig Murphy and JoAnne Yates (ISBN 9781421440033):
* https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/title/engineering-rules
ISO has bills and overhead to cover, just like anyone else. Just because some of its work is covered by 'donated' effort doesn't mean all of it can.
(I wouldn't object to having ISO standards being freely available, it's just that I can see some reasons for why they are not.)