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Subject: [xtm-wg] publication strategy for the XTM brand
This is a brainstorm (I must still be reeling from the Dallas group hug) rather than a proposal. As a disclaimer, I know nothing about marketing in general or branding in particular. In fact, we have experts on this list who handle those things. So I assume they will at some point post their more definitive views on the material covered in this thread. That said-- (1) The XTM AG is building a brand -- the XTM brand. At MacDonald's you know what you get; from Moet Hennessy you know what you get; from W3C you know what you get... Etc. (This is why a logo is important. The logo is a proxy for the brand.) (2) Brands are bundled characteristics. Among the characteristics I personally would like for the XTM brand to have are timeliness, simplicity, reliability, powerful yet reasonably easy implementation, and service to the web community (experts chime in please). (3) Our deliverables need to reinforce the qualities we wish our brand to have (just like MacDonalds) Pragmatically, that means we need to prevent the 1.0 spec (and, indeed, all our deliverables) from turning into a "blivet". blivet. N. 10 pounds of sh*t in a 5 pound bag. Blivets, although perhaps timely, lack all of the other characteristics we wish our brand to have. (Note that this is why meeting our December deadline is so important -- it establishes a key characteristic of our brand.) (4) In all likelihood, there will be good material proposed for the spec that should NOT go in it, if the spec is to have the desired characteristics of simplicity (or perceived simplicity, which amounts to the same thing), or the other characteristics mandated for the spec by the AG. (5) This good material needs a home, even if it is not to be published in the spec. (6) I propose that in addition to specifications, that the XTM AG also issue monographs, which would be the home for this sort of good material. It would be branded by the XTM, and hence have the XTM brand characteristics and (it is to be hoped) authority, but not be in themselves specifications. (The distinction would be between Scripture and Commentary ;-) (7) That said, I'm not completely confident in drawing a line between specification and monograph -- except for this: "semantics" (dread word). The best definition of semantics I've ever heard comes from Lloyd Harding: Semantics. N. That upon which we cannot agree. Another way of putting this is that matters which are urgent to achieve XTM ubiquity (our goal) but which the AG cannot take the time or lacks the resources to evaluate completely -- hence cannot agree on, hence are relegated to what is "semantic" -- should be published as monographs, in between the issuance of specs. Perhaps all the titles in our series of monographs should be prefaced with "How to" -- "How to represent a Topic Map in EXPRESS", for example. (8) I would like to see a timeline or editorial plan for deliverables. This would include specifications (do we have a target for Paris?) and monographs, for which the AG would make a list. (I don't contemplate a monograph being issued without AG approval.) (9) Meeting the timeline will reinforce our brand. "XTM delivers!" (10) The existence of the timeline will automatically create buzz. It is a story to cover! (It is the next story after DC.) (11) The publication of monographs and follow-on implementation or experimentation based on them will create a natural dynamic for evolving the spec. For example, the EXPRESS monograph in a year or so might mutate to spec status based on adoption. Anyhow, just some thoughts from one who was an editor in a past life. S. P.S. I suppose, though this may be controversial (even to me it sounds stupid) that the monographs could even be sponsored. (If they were print, I envisage a back page with a display advertisement on it.) Note that I am envisaging the monographs as an editorial product, even if they have advertising, just like a journal or a newspaper. The purchases of the advertising "pays their money and takes their choice" as to the text of the monograph. In particular, they would not dictate editorial policies, a competitor could also buy space in the monograph, and so forth. Tricky, I think, but doable and their are precedents. The baseline is not to dilute the power of the brand, so outright corruption is ruled out as being in no one's best interests ;-) ===== <?-- "To imagine a language is to imagine a form of life." - Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations --> __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Get organized for the holidays! http://calendar.yahoo.com/ -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> eGroups eLerts It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free! http://click.egroups.com/1/9698/1/_/337252/_/974141388/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> To Post a message, send it to: xtm-wg@eGroups.com To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: xtm-wg-unsubscribe@eGroups.com
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