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the same conditions of quality, measurement, operation,
compatibility, etc. as others. terminology standard according to
ISO/IEC Guide 2 (1996) is defined as “standard that is concerned
with terms, usually accompanied by their definitions, and
sometimes by explanatory notes, illustrations, examples, etc.”
The earliest activities related to standardization began in the
17th century, when some companies established rules for
production due to the trade brought on by incipient
industrialization (Manu 1984). The standards were first internal to
the company and a way of optimizing production; later they were
extended beyond the firm to facilitate business relations. These
rules were the clearest precedents of what later would become
standards. And very early on people realized that isolated rules
about products were inoperative unless there were also rules
governing the language used. Industrial standardization, then,was
closely tied to terminological standardization. The industrial
revolution of the 19th century, which is the definitive force behind
international cooperation, explicitly considered the need to unify
some systems of production, measures, weights and other
characteristics, including terminology, which could be exchanged.
Within these parameters standardization is based on a series
of principles that must be followed:
a. It is an act of simplification that reduces variety and
increases uniformity by choosing one alternative over others.1
b. It is a group activity that must be achieved via consensus,
not by imposition.
c. It is an activity whose only value lies in its application; the
publication of a standard is meaningless unless the standard is
applied.
d. It is an act that can be revised, but it should be stable
enough so that those who have to comply with it take it into
account; decisions must be the result of detailed, reasoned
arguments.
e. It is a social activity with economic repercussions.

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