The meaning of voting on standardization: Comment

Conclusions

In this note I have argued that voting on standards has a completely different function from voting on public goods or on candidates. For standards are mostly applied voluntarily, whereas voting outcomes on public goods and on candidates are enforced. Voting on standards has rather an informative function either for the users as private choosers or for the standard markers revealing them the viability of standards. But more important than voting on standards is probably negotiating standards. This is the most strenuous and time-consuming for the standard setting committees. When we really want to make progress in understanding collective decision making on standards, we have to focus less on voting and more on negotiations.