Amendment 2

So why all the secrecy no definitive information available until publication date next Monday..............
The things have all been printed............there's some potential major changes round the AFDD installation..............I can remember the publication of the 14th edition no fuss, no hysteria, no fanfare of a release date just get yourself up to the local bookshop and hand over your hard earned cash................my how things have changed.....................

They had release dates even in the days of the 14th Ed - e.g. 21st Aug 1970 for the metric reprint edition of the 14th - and I doubt you'd have been able to get a copy before that date.  I guess the big change the internet has brought is that people are far more aware that a new edition is on its way and of discussions about its possible contents.

As for the 'secrecy' I guess it's just the usual corporate attempt at keeping things fair - e.g. people who just so happened to be mates with someone on the committee couldn't steel a march on the competition. If you think that's a bit OTT, just look at all the "inside information" rules that anyone even marginally involved in corporate finance has to deal with. Also given the wiring regs are a fairly complex bit of regulation where everything needs to be read in context and with knowledge of various definitions, pre-releasing just 'snippets' of information increases the risks of mis-interpretation.

    - Andy.

AJJewsbury said:

As for the 'secrecy' I guess it's just the usual corporate attempt at keeping things fair - e.g. people who just so happened to be mates with someone on the committee couldn't steel a march on the competition.

There's a bit of that, PLUS the fact that things do change until the final publication is agreed, so for example if someone did make a business decision based on information which might later change, that also could cause some wrangles.

AJJewsbury said:

As for the 'secrecy' I guess it's just the usual corporate attempt at keeping things fair - e.g. people who just so happened to be mates with someone on the committee couldn't steel a march on the competition.

There's a bit of that, PLUS the fact that things do change until the final publication is agreed, so for example if someone did make a business decision based on information which might later change, that also could cause some wrangles.