Four Competing Standards Become Five

Text on the meme

WE SHOULD improve technology SOMEWHAT. NOW, STANDARDS PLEASE? (SET A/C ORDERS, CHARACTER ENCODINGS, INSTANT MESSAGING, ETC) SITUATION: THERE ARE 4 COMPETING STANDARDS !?: RIDICULOUS! WE NEED TO DEVELOP ONE UNIVERSAL STANDARD THAT COVERS EVERYONE'S USE CASES. YEAH! SOON: SITUATION: THERE ARE 5 COMPETING STANDARDS

What it means

A traveler carrying firewood proposes improving technology, while a man in a well discusses standardizing four competing standards into one universal standard. The punchline shows that the attempt to unify everything creates a fifth standard, parodying the recurring failure of standards committees and technology projects to reduce complexity. EN: A traveler carrying firewood proposes improving technology, while a man in a well discusses standardizing four competing standards into one universal standard. The punchline shows that the attempt to unify everything creates a fifth standard, parodying the recurring failure of standards committees and technology projects to reduce complexity.

Objects

man carrying firewood / мужчина, несущий дрова man in a well / мужчина в колодце firewood bundle / связка дров wooden staff / деревянный посох stone well / каменный колодец castle / замок medieval landscape / средневековый пейзаж speech bubbles / облачка с репликами standards diagram / схема стандартов wooden barrel / деревянная бочка grass / трава brown tunic / коричневая туника orange shirt / оранжевая рубашка