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I disagree that this article is a stub. This is all the available information that can be found and an external link has been given.
However, I do agree that sources may need to be cited. --AOL Alex 01:33, 6 October 2006 (UTC)
I just looked at this article for the first time. As one interested in ASTM, it seems a bit thin. In writing articles that reference ASTM, I would expect anyone clicking the wikilink would get a rasonably detailed description of what the organization does. I'm immediately struck by the fact that the article and its links do not actually tell the reader what a Standard is. The ASTM definition of a standard, at least in paraphrase, would appear to be essential information. Rules on committee balance are also important information that is missing. I would normally jump straight in and do a major re-write, as I have done in other cases. However, looking through the history page, I notice a major chunk of stuff eliminated 19 Sept 2006, and I got cold feet. What's the problem? Shall I go ahead and add these features? Does someone else want to?
LinguisticDemographer 13:53, 18 March 2007 (UTC)
Some of these links seem very appropriate, such as the List of materials properties which references ASTM. ZueJaytalk 05:30, 13 February 2007 (UTC)
LinguisticDemographer deleted Thousands of members from over 100 countries represent manufacturers, industry users, governments, researchers, and consumers. I'd like to put it back in, or put in something like it. It has been my experience that people who are interested in standards but are not members of ASTM do not understand that anyone who wants to pay $75/year can be a member. And that any member can vote on any standard (although as a rule most don't exercise that right). Una Smith 18:38, 19 March 2007 (UTC)
I added (under Membership) a sentence defining the the categories of members. This was necessary in order to define the balance and voting rules. This rendered the sentence in the preamble redundant. Multiple votes (as I pointed out) are not allowed. I was for years the voting member for a company that had over twenty ASTM members. None of the others could vote. Failure to vote on ballots results in expulsion from committees, so voting members had better exercise their right. Anyone can vote in Task Groups, but these do not make standards. I guess I can dig out the references from the rule book if you're not convinced by this. . . .LinguisticDemographer 19:49, 19 March 2007 (UTC)
You were an organizational representative, casting the organization's vote. In some ASTM committees it is common practice for all members to be individual members, each one with an individual vote. To be really technical about it, if task groups do not make standards then subcommittees and committees also do not make them, because there is yet another level of review: society review. ASTM's rule book is online, BTW, and I have a copy.
I just want the intro to state that ASTM has a significant and growing international membership; it isn't a purely "American" (meaning USA) standards organization. Una Smith 01:17, 20 March 2007 (UTC)
Fine: thanks for the addition. It might be worth while finding out the proportion of non-North American members (of which I'm one). I'll see what I can dig out. . . .LinguisticDemographer 08:42, 20 March 2007 (UTC)
There is currently a tag indicating that a worldwide view is needed. I have expanded the discussion to more international subjects. I have given an example of international usage of ASTM. Yet, the tag remains. Please tell us specifically what your objection is. We cannot fix something without a detailed explanation of the problem. Rlsheehan July 20, 2007
I'd like to open up discussion on this, since the tag is still there after 6/7 weeks. What do we need to do to obtain the required international viewpoint, so that the tag can be removed? Just how much international view is necessary (or available) on the subject of an organization that is essentially American? The St. Louis Cardinals article appears to have a mainly American viewpoint, but that's not a problem, because people outside the US a) don't much care about them, and b) don't know enough to make sensible edits. Following the above suggestion, I have looked through all the interwiki links, and I'm still in the dark as to what else is needed to adequately "internationalise" the article. I agree that people who can't think of anything to write should defer to those who can. But in view of the fact that the tag is still there, the latter category is presumably unpopulated. If anybody feels that the article still lacks adequate international viewpoint, please make a detailed list of its deficiencies, so that editors can address them. If no list appears, I shall remove the tag. . . .LinguisticDemographer 19:40, 10 September 2007 (UTC)
Hm. ASTM's website is increasingly multilingual, so there is more material for non-English wikipedia to use and cite. And its magazine seems to report every month a new MOU between ASTM and one or more foreign national standards bodies. Then there is adoption of ASTM standards by international standards bodies. And there is the significance of certain ASTM standards for international trade (eg, in food ingredients, steel, oil and gas products), etc. --Una Smith 21:12, 10 September 2007 (UTC)
The purpose of the article is to describe ASTM, not to sell it. Presumably in the interests of NPOV, so that the article doesn't sound like an advert for ASTM (prohibited by Wikipedia policy), we ought also to mention the prevailing international opinion that ASTM is a relatively insignificant player on the world standardisation stage. Its standards "market share" speaks volumes. One can (and one will) argue that the ASTM website and "Standardization News" are not suitably neutral citation sources. No doubt non-English-Wikipedia editors appreciate this point. And if the non-English articles are insufficiently fulsome in their praise of ASTM, presumably it's those articles that need tagging, and not this . . . .LinguisticDemographer 23:28, 10 September 2007 (UTC)
The ASTM website and magazine are not neutral but they are a source of facts (eg, which national standards bodies have signed MOUs with ASTM). Do you have an appropriate source for "the prevailing international opinion that ASTM is a relatively insignificant player"? If the world view of ASTM is that it is a minor player, put that in the article. The ASTM page on most other wikipedia is a stub, so don't merit more precise tagging. I think one of the most interesting things about ASTM is that it as large as it is, despite not being a national standards body. And the pros and cons of a volunteer-based standards development organization merit some discussion. --Una Smith 04:10, 11 September 2007 (UTC)
I agree that a lot more can be said about ASTM, in an objective way. I'm not sure that MOUs are all that significant: most of these bodies also have MOUs with other standards suppliers: if it were otherwise it would be "restraint of trade". I suppose that one could cite the dismissively small non-English-Wikipedia articles as evidence of the world view. No, just kidding - Wikepedia articles are far too unreliable for that! I recall a survey that showed ASTM's market share at around 11% - I'll see if I can find it. . . .LinguisticDemographer 11:23, 11 September 2007 (UTC)
The Italian and Spanish wikipedia mention the ancient history of ASTM International. Relevant to that history, on JSTOR I find this:
Title: The Work of the International Association for Testing Materials Authors: Merriman, Mansfield Publication: Science, Volume 10, Issue 247, pp. 396-402 Publication Date: 09/1899
Does anyone here have access to JSTOR and care to write a synopsis of this article so we can cite it? --Una Smith 23:33, 20 July 2007 (UTC)
Some more (and interesting) material about IATM and Charles Dudley is here. --Una Smith 23:39, 20 July 2007 (UTC)
It would be most helpful to cite a reference, or have links to provide the non-engineering public where to go for a layman's understanding of ASTM citations on consumer products (construction materials, supplies, and other safety products), or at least where one can go for an interpretation of the Standards. ASTM citations on a product only provides an indecipherable code, written by and between materials testing engineers. While this may be a good thing for them, the public has no way of breaking the code (to understand whether the standard is appliciable to a particular purpose) unless they are willing to shell out costly document (approx $12/page each of which customarily references numerous other standards), or membeship fees [1]. For Example: I hired a local firm to install a stucco application on my home. I was counting on them matching the materials to their previous work. When they began they used a new subtrate cement backer-board which was had a goodly percentage of styrofoam aggregate along with the customary cement. I was concerned about the fire rating of the finished work given that styrofoam emits a deadly gas when exposed to heat. The backer board cited an ASTM code (HTML link [2]) which did not lend any intelligence on the matter. Were I to pay the $35 for the referenced document, I cannot be sure that would find what I was looking for.
James Hade 13:27, 14 September 2007 (UTC)
Is it a metric system - or imperial american measure system??? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.34.140.154 (talk) 04:31, 28 November 2008 (UTC)
This article talk page does not show any Wikipedia projects. The organization is very important, and should have projects shown. Perhaps ((WPMeasure}? --DThomsen8 (talk) 12:06, 13 June 2009 (UTC)
The ASTM headquarters was formerly in the 1800 block of Race Street on Logan Circle in Philadelphia, but they moved out and their building was sold to Moore College of Art, which was already next door. Can this history be added to the article, with the date, which I don't know. --DThomsen8 (talk) 12:13, 13 June 2009 (UTC)
As someone familar with ASTM and wikipedia, I'm even having trouble understanding this statement in the "History" heading:
This seems to touch a bit of recentism, but more importantly, I'm unclear as to what is meant by "examination of the group's mission...relevance". In my view, this needs to be sourced and have more detail about the results of such an examination; or it should be removed. Thoughts? — fcsuper (How's That?, That's How!) (Exclusionistic Immediatist ) — 20:54, 30 November 2010 (UTC)
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According to the intro, ASTM was founded as "the American Section of the International Association for Testing Materials". In the history section, however, no "International Association" is mentioned, and the original name of ASTM is given as "the American Society for Testing Materials". I suspect that one of the sections is incorrect here? Nikolaj1905 (talk) 11:19, 9 May 2018 (UTC)