Open data standards design behind closed doors?

Open data standards are political, yet they are built in technical spaces devoid of political or social implications. Often what gets prioritized in their design is technical interoperability, not human understanding. Sometimes we focus so much on building the technology that we forget to address the new power dynamics formed. It is important for us to not only understand how powerful open data standards can be in creating changes, but to also address some of the challenges that are part of their design and implementation. So are we all in the picture? The short answer is no. To be truly inclusive, implementation of standards and their policies need to multiply voices at the very beginning of the design process to help solve problems for the many, not just a select few. Therefore we want an open conversation to try and find some answers and bring more views to this field.