Here are the powerpoint slides of a presentation I just gave in Wellington, NZ.

With the rapid pace of change on the world wide web, many “standards” have evolved in response to the needs of the medium. These are technical solutions that may not be officially sanctioned. Their legitimacy comes from widespread use.
Loose “standards” have arisen from these technologies and practices. RSS feeds, Mediawiki extensions, and a range of other conventions and technologies are now widely employed in many learning applications and practices.
This presentation looks at the characteristics of these standards or conventions. We will discuss the place of these in the world of international technical standardization and how to bridge the gap between divergent areas of standarisation and innovation.