Steve asks
for responses from “all readers of this mailing list, not just AG members” … so here
goes!
What is our aim? To manage the development
of standards or to see standards developed? If the later, why the urge to “roll
our own”?
As a colleague of
a member of the AG (Daniel Rivers-Moore), and as a Director of an organization (RivCom)
that is keen to see the effective and widespread use of Topic Maps, I understood
that TopicMaps.org was established to “fast track” the development of XTM. I
have always been uncomfortable with this rational for an independent and
separate organization to develop XTM. There are a number of bodies whose core
business is producing standards, and they have invested in the development of
policies, procedures and mechanisms for their production. While I want my company
to contribute to the development of an XTM standard that is technically
excellent, I have no desire to contribute to the overhead of running yet another
standards body (we are already members of OASIS and W3C).
In addition, I
want XTM to be seen by users and vendors as a standard that has substantial and
long-term support. Surely this is much more likely if XTM was under the auspices
of an established and respected standards body.
I know that I
have been on the sidelines and my view will not carry much weight – but my feeling
is that Steve is right to “tend toward” option 3.
With best wishes
Adrian
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Adrian Rivers
RivCom
Lotmead Business Village,
Swindon, SN4 0UY, UK
Direct Line: +44 (0)1793 792003
Switchboard: +44 (0)1793 792000
Fax: +44
(0)1793 792001
Email: adrian.rivers@rivcom.com
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
-----Original
Message-----
From: Steve Pepper [mailto:pepper@ontopia.net]
Sent: 20 April 2001 15:42
To: xtm-wg@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [xtm-wg] The Future of
TopicMaps.Org
I would like to start a discussion about the future of
TopicMaps.Org.
I believe that the time has come to rethink our whole future
strategy for the furtherance of topic mapping. TM.Org set out
to adapt ISO 13250 for use on the Web and that goal has been
achieved. Whatever its flaws, XTM 1.0 is something we can all
be proud of.
But there is more work to be done, both in terms of promoting
the specification, building the community, and extending the
specification to cover processing, templates, queries, etc.
Producing XTM 1.0 was a heroic effort by all concerned, but it
came at a high price, that of dividing the topic map community.
As a result, TopicMaps.Org no longer has the authority, in my
opinion, to play the vital role of custodian of the XTM spec in
the future.
I would like to propose a new organization to which we transfer
the rights to XTM. I see three alternatives:
(1) TM.Org could reinvent itself
(2) We could create a new organization
(3) We could join an existing organization
Whichever route we choose, the first prerequisite is that it
should have the backing of the whole community. I am currently
tending towards alternative (3) as being the most realistic.
OASIS has been mentioned as a possibility; there may be others.
The goals of the new organization should be:
1. Reunite the topic map community.
2. Put significant marketing effort into promoting understanding
and use of the topic map paradigm for the global interchange
and federation of knowledge.
3. Act as the custodian of the XTM specification.
4. Provide the forum for further development of the paradigm.
5. (other)
It goes without saying that all positions in TopicMaps.Org,
including that of editorship, should be reassigned as part of
this regroupment. I am ready to resign as editor at any time to
help achieve this.
I would like to hear the opinions of members of TM.Org (i.e. all
readers of this mailing list, not just AG members, past and
present).
Best regards,
Steve
--
Steve Pepper, Chief Technology Officer <pepper@ontopia.net>
Convenor, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC34/WG3 Editor, XTM (XML Topic Maps)
Ontopia AS, Waldemar Thranes gt. 98, N-0175 Oslo, Norway.
http://www.ontopia.net/ phone:
+47-23233080 GSM: +47-90827246
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