[jayvanguard]

Standards groups tend to attract people who are Right Right Right. Typical make-up of a standards group:

- Two to three professional IT standards people. Haven't written code in years, limited actual influence back in the companies they work for. Usually report in to the "office of the CTO".

- One or two people ruthlessly out to promote their companies point of view because their products depend on it. Often don't even pretend to be diplomatic. Politicians.

- One or two academics representing their personal research whims and interests. They have little to no actual skin in the game. Often derail onto irrelevant topics.

- One to two people who know the area deeply, are actual practitioners with hands on skills in the area, and are reasonably neutral.

[mauricemir]

I think your forgetting national interests and NIH - The Joke that the 8th layer OSI is Politics has some basis in reality.

Non tariff barriers also come into play eg why you can't buy a land rover in the USA

[Sven7]

I'd say that's a good mix :) And I really don't know any subject matter experts/actual practitioners who are "reasonably neutral" :)