May Letter from the Editor:

Standards. They've always been a cornerstone of civilization. Standard, common languages allowed communication within and among societies. Standard currency allowed the expansion of trade and a move away from the barter economy. One of the legacies of the Chinese Qin Dynasty was the standardization of the axle-lengths of trade carts. Standard axles meant a standard wheelbase, which meant standard ruts on standard roads. The techniques greatly aided trade. Likewise, one of the few lasting positive consequences of the Articles of Confederation, which was in place in the United States before the Constitution replaced it, was the standardization of a system of weights and measures. Standards are important.

Now standards are an issue within the realm of OSS. Some standards have been in place within the network for years, but the IT side is far from universally regulated. Years of proprietary interests have focused on the betterment of specific companies over the industry as a whole. However, the world of networks is getting bigger and more complicated. It might not be a bad idea to pool some collective knowledge, learn from the mistakes and failures of others, and embrace OSS standards.

In this issue, we take a look at standards and what they mean. We speak to TMF founder ......