Algol-68 is sort of the reference case for the problem with prescriptive standards.
They sound like a good idea "Lets get the best minds together and create the ideal standard" however because they are not based on anything built tend to be over engineered and hard to implement.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is posix, which is a sort of terrible "lets just glob what everyone is doing together" descriptive standard, at least it gets everyone operating on the same page. so I think of it as a good place to start, not the end result.
There is a reason the ieft was so successful with their "working code and rough consensuses". Which is why it worries me as they try to redefine them self as a "standards" body. as opposed to publishing standards.
They sound like a good idea "Lets get the best minds together and create the ideal standard" however because they are not based on anything built tend to be over engineered and hard to implement.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is posix, which is a sort of terrible "lets just glob what everyone is doing together" descriptive standard, at least it gets everyone operating on the same page. so I think of it as a good place to start, not the end result.
There is a reason the ieft was so successful with their "working code and rough consensuses". Which is why it worries me as they try to redefine them self as a "standards" body. as opposed to publishing standards.