The Burdens That Standards Bring--Roger Dickeson

What am I saying? Am I asking for a legacy with all its implied constraints on change? Be careful what you wish for. If—a great big if—standards can be developed and if—another big if—those standards are widely adopted, they become a mixed blessing. They provide for a common digital language that will enable smooth, error-free communication between print buyers and printers. Those standards could reduce administrative and production costs for both buyer and printer by some order of magnitude. At the very moment they become effective, however, they're out of date. Those standards have become an impediment that blocks free adoption of new ideas and technology.