Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: ANSI C Standard available for ftp?
Message-ID: <1989Dec31.011707.2155@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <994@ux.acss.umn.edu> <10241@zodiac.ADS.COM>
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 89 01:17:07 GMT

In article <10241@zodiac.ADS.COM> xanthian@saturn.ADS.COM (Metafont Consultant Account) writes:
>Almost certainly not "legally", since ANSI (CBEMA?) policy forbids
>telecom distribution of even _draft_ standards documents to
>non-standards committee members...

It is worth noting that (a) becoming a committee member costs on the order
of $100 a year, an amount well within the reach of most concerned individuals,
and (b) most committee members don't get the machine-readable form either.

(Yes, there are people sufficiently impoverished that they absolutely cannot
afford an extra $100.  Such people presumably cannot afford to drive a car,
drink beer, or wear brand-name bluejeans either.  If they can afford one
or more of those things, clearly they're willing to spend that sort of money
on luxuries, and one must conclude that they give participation in any one
particular standards effort a rather low priority.)

(For the record, since accusations of complacency tend to fly when something
like this is posted, my own limited participation in the ANSI C effort was
financed entirely out of my own pocket.  And no, I am not a rich professor.
I wasn't an X3J11 member, but that was a question of lack of time rather than
money.  The fees are not exorbitant for the amount of paper you get.)
-- 
1972: Saturn V #15 flight-ready|     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
1989: birds nesting in engines | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu