EML Vocabulary

[Thom Wysong <wysong@technodemocracy.org>]

It seems to me that, sooner or later, we will run into a problem with 
people using different definitions for the same term, or different terms 
for the same concept. When this happens, we'll probably need to come to 
agreement on a common term and common definition for those concepts we need 
to refer to.

One possible solution is to use the terms and definitions that the US 
Federal Election Commission (FEC) uses in it's Voting System Standards 
(VSS) manual. Version 1.0 of the US VSS was published in 1990. The 
standards are currently being revised. Volume 1 of Version 2.0 of the US 
VSS is scheduled to be released for public comment on 29 June 2001. The 
glossary from the new Volume 1 may be of use to us.

The final version of that glossary is not yet available. However, I do have 
a draft version of it that was created on 01 August 2000. The draft version 
is available at 
http://www.technodemocracy.org/resources/US-FEC-VSS2-Glossary-2000-08-01.html

This glossary does not contain all the terms that we'll likely need to use. 
It also contains terms that we won't likely need. Additionally, we may 
decide that the definitions the FEC uses don't quite fit our needs. 
However, they can be a starting point for us.

-Thom