Desktop normalization

[H. Peter Anvin]

> On Tue, 24 Nov 1998, Joel Maher wrote:
> 
> 
> > I think Greg has a good point.  I would be nice to include the desktop as
> > a part of the OS for a personal workstation, but having the choice of no
> > GUI is why some people choose linux.  
> 
> That's why layered or modular standard with optional higher layers
> or modules designed for interoperability rather than for prefering
> any existing solution would be a good thing IMHO.
> 

Yes, modular standards are a Good Thing[TM].

However, something I'd like to *strongly* propose is to adopt an
RFC-like concept, where anyone can submit documents to be published;
by default to be considered "Informational", but which can be
standards-track (Proposed Standard, Standard).

That way people who hack up useful things can document them to improve
interoperability, without going through an expensive standardization
process until it becomes warranted.  Having a central repository of
such documents is very useful, as the RFC's and the FidoNet
equivalent, the FSC's both show.  When I was active in FidoNet
(1988-1994), more mailers were implemented to the informal standards
(FSC-xxxx) than the formal ones (FTS-xxxx), although they all could
speak FTS-0001 and FTS-0006 when warranted.

I hereby volunteer to be virtual Jon Postel and maintain such an
archive, should it be considered useful.

	-hpa