RE: [rights] tyranny of the majority but no consensus

[Bob Glushko <glushko@SIMS.Berkeley.EDU>]

At 07:42 PM 9/19/2002 -0700, Radbel, Dmitry wrote:
> Actually, the first TC chair
> responsibility listed in the OASIS TC Guidelines is to "keep the TC
> moving towards completion of its charter, on schedule." In the long
> list of TC chair's duties there is nothing about reaching consensus
> (surely it's desirable but not always possible).
>  

So let's just address this one point -- is the Chair keeping the TC
moving toward completion of its charter?   It looks like a
substantial number of the TC's members believe he has not -- if you focus
on the first goal of the charter, which is to:  

Define the industry standard for a rights language that supports a wide
variety of business models and has an architecture that provides the
flexibility to address the needs of the diverse communities that have
recognized the need for a rights language. 
                                    
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Many people are saying that it appears to them that the only
"community" whose requirements seem to matter is the MPEG
club.  Hari's recent actions have certainly reinforced their
belief.

And thus it comes down to this -- if we were to have a vote today of all
the members of this TC who are allowed to vote -- and not in a hastily
called voice vote but in an email vote conducted over the next few days
-- do you believe that Hari would receive a vote of
"confidence" to remain as chairman from a majority of the
eligible members?  I do not think so.  

I am not yet calling for such a vote, because while I have the right to
do so I believe it is unprecedented in OASIS TC-hood and it would fatally
cripple this committee, wasting much of the work that all of us have done
this summer.  I have instead expressed my advice in numerous
(unanswered) emails to Hari that he take charge of this committee to
focus on this first goal of the charter rather than give in to the
pressure to "get something out" that doesn't meet the needs of
anyone but MPEG.  He didn't answer so I decided to take my concerns
to the "rights" list -- and he still hasn't addressed the
concerns.  Unless he does this soon this TC will remain hopelessly
deadlocked.

bob glushko