Should we position DIST more like a protocol than a Standard?

[cronky]

Positioning DIST as more of a Protocol. rather than a standard? (Inspired by reading https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Xg232v_x8hUfT4RkE9XRhrho6_b682Js/edit?slide=id.p15#slide=id.p15)

Given the rapid evolution of sustainable tech methodology, framing DIST as a protocol highlights its agility, ease of integration, and software-first nature.

This shift might make it less intimidating for the community to adopt and easier for us to update as the industry changes?

Framing to avoid vs. Proposed Framing
Avoid language like: "DIST is a global standard for measuring digital impacts..."
Proposed Language: "DIST is a lightweight protocol and data schema for exchanging and routing digital impact metrics..."

Why This Shift Matters for DIST

1. Software-First over Committee-First: "Standards" imply heavy, bureaucratic review boards (like ISO or IEEE) and years of stagnation.The Protocol Advantage: Framing DIST as a protocol signals to the open-source community that it is an active, living implementation tool. It focuses on how data moves rather than gatekeeping what is allowed.
2. Agility: AI and green computing models change. Protocols are built to handle extensions. We can update payload schemas, add new taxonomy tags, or iterate on carbon intensity metrics without breaking the core system.
3. Lowering the Barrier to Adoption: Engineering teams often resist adopting new "standards" because they imply massive compliance audits.
   Developers adopt protocols (like HTTP, OAuth, or ActivityPub) to solve immediate integration problems.

Positioning DIST as more of a protocol makes it feel like an enabling tool rather than a regulatory burden?

[timcowlishaw]

Aha, I like this a lot - with carbon.txt we've tended to describe it as a "proposed standard" to make it explicit we're not doing the heavy bureaucratic work of standardisation, but presenting something that "could be standardised", and I think "protocol" actually maybe describes what we're getting at better? One to chat through with @hanopcan and maybe also @mrchrisadams too but I like it 👍