“No man, however bold or however high he may stand in his profession,
can resist the benumbing effect of rules laid down by authority.”
Who should teach standards — faculty, practitioners, standards developers or some combination of the three?
At what point in an engineering or technical curriculum should students first encounter consensus standards?
Should students learn only how to apply standards, or also how standards are developed, revised and governed?
White House: Designating English as the Official Language of The United States
2026 National Electrical Code Article 100 Definitions Public Input Transcript (Definitions)
2026 National Electrical Code Article 100 Definitions Public Comment Transcript (Definitions)
“The English genius is essentially eclectic;
it borrows from everywhere and from every time.”
— Peter Ackroyd | 2004 Albion: the origins of the English imagination
“The Tower of Babel” 1563 | Pieter Bruegel the Elder
“Wer von Fremdsprachen nichts versteht, kennt seine eigenen nichts.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Disagree with someone and cannot persuade them? Do you need to hide your intransigence or ulterior motive? Then change the basis of discussion by changing the subject with a different definition.
This happens routinely in political discourse and rather frequently in best practice discovery and promulgation in building construction and settlement infrastructure standards[1]. Assuming all parties are negotiating in good faith resolution may lie in agreement on a common understanding of what a satisfying agreement might look like.
Admittedly, a subtle and challenging topic outside our wheelhouse[2] hence the need to improve our organization of this topic starting with today’s colloquium; with follow on sessions every month.
Starting 2025 we will organize our approach to this topic, thus:
Language 100. Survey of linguistic basics for developing codes, standards and regulations. Many vertical incumbents have developed their own style manuals
Language 200. Electrotechnical vocabulary
Language 300. Architectural and Allied trade vocabulary
Language 400. The language of government regulations; the euphemisms of politicians with influence over the built environment
Language 500. Advanced topics such as large language models or spoken dialects such as “High Michigan” — arguably, the standard American dialect where it applies to the standards listed above.
These deep differences still exist. pic.twitter.com/doxytw9Hps
— Jon Harris 🌲 (@jonharris1989) October 14, 2025
It may not be obvious how profound the choice of words and phrases have on leading practice discovery and promulgation. For example, “What is Gender” determines the number, placement and functionality of sanitary technologies in housing, hospitals and sporting. The United States has a Supreme Court justice that cannot define “woman”
As always, we will respond to public consultation opportunities wherever we can find them. Some organizations are better than this than others.
Large Language Models
Examples of Variations in Translations of Homer’s Odyssey
The Surprising Factor That Determines English Fluency
Today we limit our discussion to language changes in the catalogs of ANSI-accredited standards developers whose titles have the most influence over the interoperability of safety and sustainability technologies that create and sustain the built environment of educational settlements.
American Institute of Architects: Definitions for Building Performance
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
National Fire Protection Association
Every building construction discipline has its own parlance and terms of art.
This is enough for a one-hour session and, depending upon interest, we will schedule a breakout session outside of our normal “daily” office hours. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
ΒΙΒΛΙΟΘΗΚΕΣ
Starting 2024 and running into 2025 we will break down this topic further, starting with construction contract language — Lingua Franca 300:
Asset management applies to any organization. As such, understanding its terminology, principles, and outcomes is key to an organization’s success. ISO 55000:2024 provides an overview of #AssetManagement and its expected benefits. @isostandards https://t.co/XZsWvJJ8r4
— ANSI (@ansidotorg) September 22, 2024
Large Language Models
Electropedia: The World’s Online Electrotechnical Vocabulary
Footnotes:
(1) The United States government defines a “Green Building” as a building that has been designed, constructed, and operated in a way that reduces or eliminates negative impacts on the environment and occupants. The government has established various standards and certifications that buildings can achieve to be considered “green.”
The most widely recognized green building certification in the United States is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, which is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). To achieve LEED certification, a building must meet certain standards related to sustainable site development, water efficiency, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
In addition to the LEED certification, there are other programs and standards that can be used to measure and certify the sustainability of buildings, such as the Green Globes rating system and the Living Building Challenge.
Overall, the goal of green building is to create buildings that are not only environmentally sustainable but also healthier, more comfortable, and more efficient for occupants, while reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. By promoting green building practices, the U.S. government aims to reduce the environmental impact of the built environment and move towards a more sustainable future.
(2) The U.S. Green Building Council is a conformance organization. See the discussion our ABOUT for background on incumbent stakeholders.
Language Family Tree pic.twitter.com/RREloueklh
— English Grammar (@GrammarUpdates) September 21, 2024
Michigan Central | Active Construction Projects
The former Ulrich’s Bookstore* operates interstitially on Central Campus in the South University commercial district.
Opens 6 AM most days for the University Grounds Crews and construction contractors starting before the heat arrives.
South University Commercial District
* It happened slowly, then all at once…
The quiet eclipse of Washtenaw’s Swabian roots by the University’s borderless ambition
Cover bands are essential works. They refresh the global musical canon by returning recorded music to live performance, ensuring that American music remains a living vernacular rather than a museum artifact. Cover bands project a durable image of America as energetic, improvisational and rhythmically irresistible—long after the original recordings recede. The competition for dominance in artificial intelligence may be unsettled, but the competition for cultural influence that AI seeks to amplify was won long ago—in the melodies, rhythms and energy of the American Songbook.
No way we’re going back.
Brittannica | Foxes and Fossils
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This content is accessible to paid subscribers. To view it please enter your password below or send mike@standardsmichigan.com a request for subscription details.
Northwestern University Financial Report 2024: $19.260B (Page 8)
Spoon University, a prominent online food publication for college students, was founded in 2012 by Northwestern University students Sarah Adler and Mackenzie Barth. As juniors living off-campus, they struggled to cook and navigate the food scene, noticing a lack of youth-focused culinary media. This inspired them to launch a blog combining journalism and food, initially for Northwestern students.
The platform quickly grew, engaging 100 students at Northwestern to create recipes, restaurant reviews, and food-related content. Its success led to expansion, with students from other universities requesting chapters. By 2014, Spoon University had spread to over 100 campuses globally, amassing thousands of contributors. Supported by the Techstars accelerator and later acquired by Scripps Networks Interactive in 2017 for approximately $10 million, Spoon University became a key voice in the food movement, empowering young creators
BrewBike Wants You to Buy Your Next Cup of Cold Brew From the Back of a Bike
Homecoming Schedule of Events | Michigan Upper Peninsula
Black coffee at restaurants should not be $5. I’m not drinking the whole pot. I just want a cup. pic.twitter.com/wxy5xO4srV
— Blonde Musings 🇺🇸 Courtney (@musings_blonde) February 1, 2026
[FSC 002301]
Michigan Upper Peninsula | Not Detroit, Not Dearborn
Michigan Technological University 2023 Net Position: $396,224,298
FY2025 Five-Year Capital Outlay Plan
Velodrome Lumberjack Latte § Marquette § Houghton § Ishpeming
“Yes, you are a battery” — Benjamin Batton
Michigan Technological University Facilities Management
Statement of Financial Position 2024: Net assets: £745,070
UAL is Europe’s largest specialist university for art, design, fashion, communication, and performing arts. It ranks 2nd globally in Art and Design (QS World University Rankings 2023). Formed in 2004 from historic colleges dating back to the 19th century, UAL is a collegiate federation of six renowned institutions:
With over 18,000 students from more than 130 countries, UAL offers pre-degree to postgraduate courses, fostering innovation through professional practitioners as tutors. Its graduates dominate creative industries, including Turner Prize winners and British Designer of the Year recipients. Campuses span London, immersing students in the world’s creative capital…’
Today, we can only imagine the peace of mind within a 2-Yr-Old farmer in 1960s Britain. ♥️⏳️ pic.twitter.com/qG4I7GV2IK
— Vinnie Sullivan (@VinnieSull1van) February 27, 2026
Story: National Portfolio Days
Related:
Universities Safety and Health Association
Sunset Moment, Kaiwen Yi, 2025 MA Illustration, | Camberwell College of Arts, UAL
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwB pic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
— USPTO (@uspto) July 13, 2023
Standards Michigan Group, LLC
455 East Eisenhower Parkway, Suite 300
Ann Arbor, MI 48108 USA
888-748-3670
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