I was doing some research into general topics of software engineering and I came across the Java Community Process website:
The JCP is the mechanism for
developing standard technical
specifications for Java technology.
Anyone can register for the site and
participate in reviewing and providing
feedback for the Java Specification
Requests (JSRs), and anyone can sign
up to become a JCP Member and then
participate on the Expert Group of a
JSR or even submit their own JSR
Proposal.
Seems like a good idea to me, and there are lots of very well written specifications and reference implementations on the JCP website.
So why is there no .NET Community Process? Is that something that Microsoft could or should start? Maybe they could install it on Codeplex.net and hand over the keys to the community.
Because honestly, trying to get anything done by a community process takes forever. I believe that’s why C# caught up with Java; Microsoft controlled the whole process and therefore could make changes more aggressively than Sun could.
Not saying that a community process is a bad thing, just that it has its downside.