Re: [docbook-tc] DocBook namespace use policy

[Norman Walsh <ndw@nwalsh.com>]

"Bob Stayton" <bobs@sagehill.net> writes:
> "The DocBook TC does not prohibit users from adding new elements to
> the DocBook namespace (http://docbook.org/ns/docbook). However, such
> new elements are not part of the DocBook standard unless they are
> approved by the DocBook Technical Committee."
>
> Do we need to say more?

How about:

DocBook is used throughout the world. As one would expect in such a
broad context, DocBook is often customized to satisfy the requirements
of specific organizations or projects. The DocBook TC encourages such
customization and works hard to make sure that the schemas are as
amenable to customization as possible.

When customizers add new elements to DocBook, they often place those
elements in the DocBook namespace (http://docbook.org/ns/docbook).
There is historical precedent for this approach as DocBook's history
pre-dates namespaces and even XML. Even without precedent, users would
almost certainly encourage customizers to use the same namespace. In
many cases it simplifies authoring and almost always simplifies the
training of new authors.

However, a new element introduced into the DocBook namespace by a
local customization is not officially part of DocBook. Only the
DocBook TC can introduce new elements into DocBook officially by
publishing a new version of the standard with those elements.

That means that the practice of adding new elements comes with a cost:
the potential for confusion among authors familiar with different
customizations and the costs associated with resolving any conflicts
between interchange partners.

The DocBook TC encourages customizers to think carefully about these
costs and weight the potential tradoffs between unofficially adding
elements to DocBook and using elements in their own namespace with
care.

                                        Be seeing you,
                                          norm

-- 
Norman Walsh <ndw@nwalsh.com>      | One of the great misfortunes of
http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/ | mankind is that even his good
Chair, DocBook Technical Committee | qualities are sometimes useless to
                                   | him, and that the art of employing
                                   | and well directing them is often
                                   | the latest fruit of his
                                   | experience.-- Chamfort

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