Private companies competing for things ends up with stuff like this. Unless NASA or someone designs a spec and contractually enforces everyone to implement it, problems like this can crop up in all kinds of places.

[–] jmcs@discuss.tchncs.de 12 points 3 months ago (3 children)

In most fields, even private companies understand the need for industry standards.

[–] astrsk@fedia.io 13 points 3 months ago (1 children)

And in new fields of privatization, someone has to win out on the standard. It should have been NASA demanding an interoperable spec but someone will win out here eventually and it will be standard in the future.

[–] robolemmy@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago (2 children)

XLCD: Standards

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 months ago

When you make a new standard to consolidate related-but-drifting standards, all you’ve done is make n+1 standards.

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

XLCD

Ah yes, XLCD, created by Rbndall Mvnroe.

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 11 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, like how Apple works with other phone and tablet manufacturers to use a unified charging and data port.

[–] astrsk@fedia.io 3 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I can’t tell if this is sarcastic because Apple contributed over 20% of the engineers credited with developing USB-C.

All told, Apple contributed 18 of 79 named engineers listed on the connector certification project or under 23%. 9to5

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 21 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

It's sarcasm, because it took EU legislation to force them to actually fucking use it in their phones a decade later.

[–] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

They don't contribute engineers out of the kindness of their hearts. They do it for entirely selfish reasons — to have a large influence in industry standards, and the competitive advantages that enables.

Do you also believe Google created Chrome for "freedom", instead of to gain a competitive advantage in web and ad tech standards?

[–] BestBouclettes@jlai.lu 6 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Only when it's their standard most of the time, which is the reason why we have so many standards for so many things that do basically the same thing

[–] witx@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

And that's why we have the EU telling apple and their fanboys to eat shit and use USB-C :) without these legislators we get the chaos you mention

For consumer products I don't agree with enforcing it through the beginning though as it might hinder innovation. But once you have a few working cases you enforce the better one