Responsibility for crafting rules can be quite a challenge, hefty responsibility, and difficult undertaking. It’s so easy for things not to work out as we’d like, for errors to be introduced, and for things to be left out. For our intention not be clear, or for many to misinterpret our meaning.

So often, after we’re done our writing, we’re given information from others, or make our own discoveries, that let us know that what was written wasn’t what we wanted or intended.

Rule making is quite a challenge, regardless of the purpose of the rules. Having served on numerous (industry and non-industry) committees over the years that have crafted rules, I know how difficult it can be. Just like any form of writing, errors and unintended or ambiguous phrases can be introduced, which can cause confusion, concern, and complaints.

Any rule making organization should be given some leeway, knowing that the task is a difficult and challenging one.