OT: ISO 639-6 RA

Debbie Garside debbie at ictmarketing.co.uk
Fri Sep 12 19:28:21 CEST 2008


Hi

It is with great regret that I write to inform you that ISO FDIS 639-6 may
never be published as standard.  After 7 years of hard work the standard is
about to fall through a lack of funding for the RA and the final development
stages of the standard.  BSI say that it does not now fit their current
business model.  I quote "Unfortunately, I am not able to confirm that BSI
will be able to assume any responsibility for the Registration Authority
(RA) associated with the standard. Our holdings of RAs and Maintenance
Agencies (MA) have been the subject of much internal discussion recently; we
have concluded they do not fit with our business model and are resource
heavy. Hence, over the past few months we have relinquished some of our
holdings, as we are unable to fund them."

As you all know, standards work is notoriously underfunded and unless BSI
can see a fat profit in it, it is a no go.  As you all also know, language
standards are supposed to be free!  A catch 22 situation!

If there is a UK based profit making organization out there that would like
to support this work please contact me. I would like to inform you that
standards development counts as R & D for the purposes of tax credits.  What
this effectively means is that a company that is currently in profit can
support ISO 639-6 and gain tax credits of 125%.  In other words, as far as I
am aware, it wouldn't cost anything and would save an additional 25% on your
tax bill.

I must now apologise to the members, Co-Chairs of LTRU and to ietf-languages
for posting this message but needs must.

Thanks for your time.

Best regards


Debbie Garside
Editor ISO FDIS 639-6

Debbie Garside
CEO

The World Language Documentation Centre
Corner House
Barn Street
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire SA61 1BW
Wales UK

Tel: 0044 1437 766441
Fax: 0044 1437 766173

Web: http://www.thewldc.org






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