[thelist] Re: Why code for standards

[Bev Corwin]

My comments follow:
----- Original Message -----
From: "Luther, Ron" <Ron.Luther at COMPAQ.com>
To: <thelist at lists.evolt.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2002 9:06 AM
Subject: RE: [thelist] Re: Why code for standards


> Hi Bev,
>
> I agree that generalizations can be a bad thing.
>
> I used to have some 'real facts'.  ;-)  My 'generalization' comes from a
> statistical analysis that I conducted using the billing records for a
> fairly good-sized [Bell System] telephone company in the Midwestern
> United States and a lot of work I did statistically analyzing their
> "small business" market.  [Since telcos charge 'business' customers a
> different rate than 'residential' customers they tend to keep pretty
> good and complete records on business customers.]  I'll stand by (or
> re-clarify) my claim that [by count] *most* small businesses do not have
> the resources to participate directly in the formal standards setting
> process.
>

How are you measuring *resou8rces* for voluntary support?  I beg to differ
that small businesses, private orgs, educators, etc... do, in fact, make up
a very large part of our voluntary organizational members,  when they are
permitted and allowed to be members.  I'm sure if you were to make a count
of the volunteers working for other organizations,  say,  the Red Cross, (of
any other) for example, or any voluntary group that *does not* discriminate,
you will find a significant amount of their volunteer hours are, in fact,
contributed by small business people,  private business people,  teachers,
etc.   I argue that your claim is flawed and has not substantial
significance other than to be based on incorrect assumptions.  Also,  in
your example, you are not speaking of volunteer resources,  you are speaking
of *other* resources.  Small businesses, like corporate / government
employees, are from a broad and diverse variety of *resources*.   I, also,
argue that your assumptions as to the ratio of corporate employees vs the
ratio of small business people  can not be proved by this particular
example.

Bev