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The number of "tents in the field" does not grow up indefinitely. Some inhabitants form "villages", some get "married" a share the same tent, other leave the field, and lettng behing them some pieces of tissue on the ground. So after some years of cross-fertilization and refinement, only few "standards" – formal or not – are healthy and well used… until a new tech wave (after xml) comes!
Re your conclusion and comparison with open-source, maybe it should be added that, as open-source has a price, the use of non-formal standards has also a price (learning curve, implementation, maintenance). But it is true that the active participation to standards bodies involves money (travels, time) and companies should only send deleguates if they have a clear view of what they gain out of this active participation: especially - with a clear view of their business model - removing any technical limitations that could limit their development.
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