Scaffolding the new Web : standards and standards policy for the digital economy

The dynamic digital economy rests on the tremendous growth of the Internet and World Wide Web, which in turn rests on information technology standards. How long can current standards keep pace with the Internet's growth? What is the role of the government? The authors examine the complex process of developing new standards for the Web. To discover whether today's standards development processes are adequate, where they are taking the industry, and whether government intervention will be required, the authors undertook five case studies covering Existing Web standards The extensible markup language, XML Digital library standards; Issues related to payments, property and privacy; Evolving electronic commerce value chains. This concise and balanced study, essential reading for technology developers and the technology policy community, makes clear recommendations on how the government, especially the National Institute for Standards and Technolog (NIST), can contribute to the future growth of the digital economy