policies

I've been spending a lot time lately crafting a solid list of Web policies and standards that organizations should consider. After all, the benefits of codifying and enforcing policies and standards are significant as they serve to limit risk and increase Web site quality and consistency. 

So I've noticed recently that people (and organizations) often interchange the policies and standards labels as if there is no difference between them... like those who insist the Web and the Internet are the same. 

Should a federal government agency move ahead with defining Web governance in a presidential election year? The unknown of McCain or Obama, which may bring with it not only new politically appointed leadership, but also a new Web strategy and presence, is a daunting prospect.  I understand some of this angst, as I too used to be a government employee (albeit a very junior one) working on the Web in an election year.