[xtm-wg] Inappropriate Changes to XTM DTD

[Murray Altheim <altheim@eng.sun.com>]

In looking over the recent submission to the group from our chairs*, I
note that they have unilaterally altered the XTM DTD as according to their
own wishes, lacking any consensus from the AG, particularly on the last
change, which has anything but consensus. As noted in their DTD:

>      Version:    v1.0.1
>      Revision:   $Id: xtm1.dtd,v 1.17 2001/01/25 17:17:25 altheim Exp $
>      PublicId:   "-//TopicMaps.Org//DTD XML Topic Map (XTM) 1.0//EN"
>
>      Revisions:
> #2001-01-21: removed baseName from occurrence
> #2001-02-02: made variantName optional in variant
> #2001-02-02: changed ID to #IMPLIED on association
> #2001-02-02: changed ID to #IMPLIED on resourceData
> #2001-02-02: changed PLUS to REP on member

None of these changes were approved by the AG. Since few in the AG realize
this, I may as well as note here that yesterday I privately resigned my post
as associate editor, webmaster, graphics designer, and everything else I've
been doing for this group (remaining as Participating Member), in protest 
of what I feel are violations of both letter and spirit. The criticisms 
that were leveled against the previous editors could easily be made here. 
I am very unhappy with the current modus operandi, which continues to use
expediency as an excuse for misconduct.

Up until this time I have edited and maintained the XTM DTD. The current 
DTD in the submitted "Final Draft" specification (erroneously labeled 
"1.17", which is the CVS id number of the post-Paris DTD that I edited)
does not represent my work, and I object most strenuously to allowing 
the posting of this new draft, given that the DTD included does not 
represent the decisions made in Paris, which is represented by the 
*actual* v1.17, as currently posted on doctypes.org at:

   http://www.doctypes.org/xtm/1.0/xtm1.dtd

Making these changes absent the consensus of the AG is not in the remit 
of our current chairs. The DTD provided in today's submission is
illegitimate. I'm dismayed to see such blatant abuse of power given what
I thought would be a heightened sensitivity to these issues following 
Paris, and especially after the chairs have been the recipient of many 
days of communication from me on issues of proper attribution and 
conduct. My resignation letter was 12K in length, to give you an idea 
of how exhaustively I have tried to express myself on these issues. Not
only have the issues I've raised been ignored, we now see alterations 
to the XTM DTD that represent nothing more than the willful ability to
make those changes, the difference between power and authority.

I have (perhaps erroneously) handed over the password to the 
topicmaps.org web site to Steve Pepper and Graham Moore, as I have
doubts now that the consensus of the group will be respected.

The current submission from the chairs should not be considered the 
product of this group (for either the submission to the W3C or as
a proper posting as a "Final Draft") until it is altered to reflect 
the consensus of the group as established in Paris.

Murray

* "February 3rd deliverables", Steve Pepper, Sat, 03 Feb 2001 21:09:49 +0100
...........................................................................
Murray Altheim                            <mailto:altheim&#x40;eng.sun.com>
XML Technology Center
Sun Microsystems, Inc., MS MPK17-102, 1601 Willow Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025

      In the evening
      The rice leaves in the garden
      Rustle in the autumn wind
      That blows through my reed hut.  -- Minamoto no Tsunenobu

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