Re: [dita-adoption] OASIS DITA Adoption TC Meeting Minutes-- 25 October 2010

["Jang F.M. Graat" <jang@jang.nl>]

I think the forum should eventually return to the site, but then use  
decent forum software. For the moment, the link to the Yahoo Group  
might do, but Yahoo is not an example of good forum software. Most of  
the useful forums I am on use the Simple Machines forum software,  
which is free and sufficiently configurable to do what it needs to do.  
The existing forum on dita.xml.org is pretty useless and Yahoo will  
not make it really good, but it might be the best option for this  
moment. Linking to Yahoo of course makes it impossible to control the  
styling and avoid the ads and other annoying stuff (like e-mails about  
Groups updates etc.).

Seeing the dita.xml.org as a one-stop shop immediately brings up  
questions about the intended audiences, and whether it is feasible and/ 
or desirable to serve all possible audiences via just one site. In  
view of DITA adoption goals, I really feel there ought to be at least  
two different sites serving two different types or groups of people.  
One is for DITA users - which might be done with the current website  
if it is improved to allow novice users to find their info quick,  
while not making it useless for the advanced users either (this is  
where a decent forum with login and member levels comes in). Another  
one is for decision makers who most often couldn't care less whether  
their documentation staff is using DITA or THATA or whatever it takes,  
just as long as the job gets done within the budget and time  
constraints that are given. Those professionals need to be attracted  
by success stories and professional styling, convinced by decent  
metrics and not scared away by the geekspeak that is dominating DITA- 
related websites today.

The forum is definitely for DITA users, and needs to be divided into  
categories of users: DITA newbies, DITA users, DITA specializers, DITA  
processing specialists, DITA statisticians and maybe a little corner  
for DITA philosophers like myself :-)  But seriously on that last  
category: I would love to use part of the future DITA forum to  
exchange thoughts about possible additions to the standard with people  
who are not on my SC, and not even on the DITA TC or even members of  
OASIS. If we want to help DITA adoption along by creating standards  
that are useful for real users, we need to include them in the  
discussions on where the DITA standard will go. Asking them to become  
OASIS members before they can give us any ideas or feedback is killing  
most of the potentially fruitful input from many potential future  
users. I am not proposing to give these non-OASIS-members full access  
to the forum, but there should be areas where everyone is free to  
contribute, as long as they have registered as a user of the forum  
(and are not banned - as you always need this mechanism to keep the  
spammers and other idiots away). Apart from this free-for-(almost-)all  
areas, I would like to have a separate area for each SC to have their  
own discussions - only available to the members of the SC. The current  
method of using the OASIS mailing list is not a good method to have a  
discussion and using the phone conferences to do all the discussing is  
horribly inefficient.

With the abovementioned forum software, setting various levels of  
access to the forums is perfectly possible and easy to do. Let's bring  
some of that wonderful new user-friendly forum technology into our  
world.

Kind regards from cold Amsterdam

Jang


On 1 nov 2010, at 17:03, Gershon Joseph (gerjosep) wrote:

> I'm in favor. One question I'm in 2 minds about is whether we should  
> put a link to the Yahoo group or not. In the name of helping new  
> users out, I think it would be a good idea. However, the idea was  
> for dita.xml.org to be a one stop shop for anything DITA, which it  
> of course is not at this time. What do others feel about this?
>
> Cheers,
> Gershon
>
> From: Doug Morrison [mailto:dmorrison@dita4all.com]
> Sent: Monday, November 01, 2010 5:56 PM
> To: dita-adoption@lists.oasis-open.org
> Subject: Re: [dita-adoption] OASIS DITA Adoption TC Meeting  
> Minutes-- 25 October 2010
>
> Regarding the first consideration of the Tiger Team, I propose that  
> the Forum be removed from the DITA.xml.org website. I believe that  
> this is in line with views expressed at the meeting, but this email  
> is to allow anyone otherwise minded to speak up. I will take silence  
> to mean acquiescence.
>
> Regards,
>
> Doug Morrison
> Information Architect
> http://dita4all.com
>
> On 29/10/2010 21:51, JoAnn Hackos wrote:
> Minutes for the DITA Adoption TC meeting
> 25 October 2010, 11 am to 12 noon ET
>
> Roll call 11:00 - Quorum
>
> Attending: JoAnn, Gershon, Doug Morrison, Kristen Eberlein, Troy  
> Klukewich, Su-Laine Yeo, PaulG, Deb Bissantz, Akash Dubey, Chris  
> Goolsby, Mat Varghese, Alessio Marchetti, Briana Wherry, Bruce Nevin
>
> Regrets from Don Rohmer, Frank Miller
>
>
> Next meeting: 8 November 2010, 11:00am to 12:00pm ET
>
> Noted that Tools article goes to the wrong file. JoAnn corrected the  
> link.
>
>
> Business
>
> 1. ITEM: Specification DITA 1.2 update. Nearing the OASIS vote.  
> November 1-15 for familiarization; Nov 16-30 for voting.
> Action: All members of the Adoption TC will encourage their  
> "official members" to vote on the specification.
> Approval requires that 15% of OASIS corporate members must approve.  
> Kris will create a spreadsheet to identify voting members associated  
> with Adoption TC members.
>
>
> 2. ITEM: Finding descriptions of DITA attributes. Topic was  
> discussed at the DITA TC meeting on 19 Oct.
> Su-Laine requested a one-page set of attributes with cross  
> references to the DITA 1.2 specification
> because the attribute definitions are difficult to find. DITA TC is  
> reviewing the request. May be forwarded
> to the Adoption TC but no action at present.
>
>
> 3. ITEM: Subcommittee reports
> Focus Area -- Doug M has suggested a Tiger Team to identify problems  
> and changes and
> execute on them as quickly as possible. Those interested in taking  
> part need to join the TC.
> No need for formal meetings. First consideration: what to do about  
> the Forum
>
> Asian Adoption
> Kickoff of the Asian Adoption SC being planned after preliminary  
> conversations between
> Mat and Gershon. Eight people have joined already representing  
> India, Japan, and Australia.
> Considering the 2nd week in November. Mat is attending Tekom and  
> will announce.
> First goal: prepare a slide deck that can be used by members to  
> present the adoption scenario.
>
> Help SC -- no update
>
> 4. Plus 6/7 ITEM: Discussion of feature articles
> Frank M has a draft coming soon of delayed conref. Gershon still  
> working on his article. Needs to
> update the style sheet and set up as plug-in. Has a list of changes  
> from Mary M. Hal will update the
> style (Gershon to send list from Mary). Gershon will enable the plug- 
> in.
>
> 8. ITEM: Discussion of DITA 1.2 elements that need styling and the  
> development of new translatable strings.
> Su-Laine further explained this item for Troy's discussion with L&T  
> Subcommittee chair, John Hunt.
>
> Troy had preliminary discussion with John but the full intent was  
> not clear. Will bring up the topic
> again because
> many of the new translatable strings and elements are in the  
> Learning and Training specialization.
>
> For next meeting: Further discussion of changes of the template and  
> policies on October 15.
> Adoption TC will need to send feature articles out for 30 day formal  
> reviews and receive comments through the
> TC comment log. Creates a considerable burden on the TC for simple  
> educational articles.
> May delay the publication process to an unacceptable extent. The  
> articles are already circulated
> to all members, including DITA TC members as they are being  
> discussed. New OASIS policies
> are threatening the committee work.
>
> Will continue this discussion at the next meeting.
>
> Discuss again at the next meeting.
>
> Adjourn 12:00 noon ET.
>
>
>
>
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