Order of authors' names--need for an official policy?

[RonButters at AOL.COM]

In a message dated 2/25/04 11:24:53 PM, zwicky at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU writes:

<< so now, it seems, *nobody* has an actually stated policy. >>

Does it seem worth doing something about? I'd be happy to take it up with the
proper authorities at the American Dialect Society, but it is not easy to
imagine what such a policy should (could?) say. LI's approach doesn't seem to
have been a success.