What defines a standard like HTML5, C++0x, etc.? Is it just that you hand something in to W3C/ANSI/ISO/..., they produce a couple hundred pages long document and suddenly it's a standard?
Can't I, as an individual, create something and standardize it by myself? I surely could produce a couple hundred pages long document which describes my creation in every detail. So what is the benefit of
publisher: W3C
Stand...
?
A standard isn't just some mystical group declaring "What Shall Come To Pass". It's defined as a common set of rules and goals to which a collection of individuals or groups that, as a whole, agree to adhere. In the case of the W3C, the browser developers have all tacitly agreed to adhere to the set of rules that is constructed by the committee put in place to handle these questions. I don't know what the make up of the top level portion of the committee is, but I do know that participants to the construction of the standard is inclusive of hundreds of web (html/css current) experts who are all considered leaders in the field, and, as I recall, each of the major browser producers has representatives on the committee.
Since there is nothing binding about the standard, it is just a guideline document to help browser producers make it easier for developers to produce pages that render properly in their software.
As for creating a standard, yes anyone can create a standard, publish it and call it a standard. It won't mean anything unless some collection of individuals buys into it and agrees to adhere to its principles and rules. As an example, our Internet Services team has created a standard for code production. It follows most general guidelines but deviates in specific areas. The junior developers and interns had no real say in it, but the leads got together and decided that these rules were the best rules for producing software for the team. Once we were all in agreement and put it into practice, it became a standard (for us).
When speaking of "file format standards" or "data format standards" (Not standard methodologies), there are another 2 concepts that mix with "Standard":
(1) "frequently used data format" or "frequently used file format"
This case, is a data / file format that is commonly used, sometimes has subbranches, but is not regulated by a organization to be considered a standard. I believe JSON started like this, and eventually became a standard.
(2) "open, not frequently used, data format" or "open, not frequently used file format"
PDF started like this. Some programmers used PDF, but did not know its internals. Later, Adobe "opened" the format and it became available, even if it wasn't commonly used. The same goes for the PNG image format.
So, in theory you may create your own data / file format, expect it to become commonly used, and later become standardized by an organization.
