The problem here is that the specs are being driven by vendors trying to get levarage over each other. The specs should be done by non-vendor experts after the area in question has settled down.

I think that we're better off with a system where we let many flowers bloom and have a way for the developer community to make recommendations to each other about what works and what doesn't. In a way, that's partially how I view the techie blogosphere. People talk about what they are using and for the most part they tell the pure unvarnished truth. After a while you develop a sense for whose opinions are trustworthy and tasteful. Take a handful (or maybe more) of these people and put their recommendations together, and you have a system for finding the best practices, tools, and libraries. Then you don't need to to running to something like the JCP just so people will use it. Once time has seasoned the recommendations, then the moment for standardization has arrived.