[Foundation-l] New project proposal: Trade Standard

[Ray Saintonge]

Erik Koopman wrote:

>Trade Standard is a project proposal for:
>(a) a public knowledge base for all information about goods, technology and
>(way of) trade to stimulate international development,
>(b) a public ethic standard and indicator to evaluate international trade
>and industry and
>(c) a public register to verify the ethic classification of goods,
>technology and trade.
>
>Although its high aim is Trade Standard an internet platform very equal to
>Wikipedia. The only differences are: (1) focus on technical and ethical
>subjects, (2) equal layouts for all articles, including a chapter for
>"ethical, social and sustainable characteristics". And (3) the addition of
>registers to list the ethical characteristics of chemicals, products etc.
>
>Trade Standard is a project with high potential that (a) stimulates
>international spread of free (technical) information, (b) connects
>technology with ethics and (c) offers a solution to upgrade today's very
>conservative, 'lowest standards'-oriented culture of international trade and
>industry.
>
The problem with this proposal is that it requires an ethical valuation 
of products.  That would be a POV act, where there could be enormous 
differences of opinion.  If some organization already makes such 
valuations, we would do better to comment on the article for the product 
that that organization values it in such a way.  Let them have the POV 
fights.

Ec