OASIS E-GOV TC : XML.ORG CONTENT PARTNER

[john.borras@e-envoy.gsi.gov.uk]

OASIS e-Gov TC members:

We have been asked by OASIS to consider serving as the Content Partner for a new XML.org Focus Area on e-Government. The attached document provides details on the program and the benefits and responsibilities of being a Content Partner. I would appreciate your consideration of this opportunity, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

1. What is an XML.org Focus Area?

OASIS launched XML.org (http://xml.org) in June 1999 to minimize overlap and duplication of standards efforts by providing public access to XML schemas, vocabularies, and information. Today, XML.org has grown into a centralized portal valued by technologists developing purpose-built XML languages and business people tracking the use of XML in industry. XML.org receives approximately 16,700 page views from over 4,400 visitors per day.

Recently, OASIS launched the first in a series of XML.org Focus Areas to provide domain-specific content on XML standards.  Focus Areas showcase the industries or sectors where XML is making the greatest impact and expand community participation by providing focused content (news, events, standards, etc.) easily accessed by specific
industries or market sections.

Each XML.org Focus Area consists of six basic pages--1) main page, 2) News, 3) Events calendar, 4) Standards and Initiatives list, 5) Players list, and 6) Resources links.

Editorial for each Focus Area is provided by XML.org Content Partners, groups--either internal or external to OASIS--that have domain expertise.


2. Who else is involved?

Current XML.org Content Partners/Focus Areas include:
ACORD/Insurance
HR-XML/Human Resources
IDEAlliance/Printing & Publishing
HL7/Healthcare
LRC/Localisation

Future XML.org Content Partners/Focus Areas may include:
Rosettanet/Manufacturing
UCC/Retail
OASIS e-Procurement TC/Procurement
OASIS PKI Member Section/Security
OASIS Tax XML TC/Tax
OASIS e-Government TC/e-Government


3. What are the benefits to the TC?

Serving as an XML.org Content Partner would be a great opportunity to spotlight the work of the TC and advance our mission to promote the adoption of OASIS specs/standards within Governments. Benefits include:

- Opportunity to build awareness for TC activities, accomplishments, and
events to the broad XML.org readership.
- Recognition as the e-Government domain expert throughout the XML.org
website and in all materials.
- Premiere placement of the TC name on all pages in the XML.org
e-Government Focus Area.
- Special treatment for TC participants, presentations, guidelines,
press releases, white papers.
- Control over how e-Government Focus Area information is presented and
categorized.
- Opportunity to drive traffic to the OASIS e-Government TC web pages


4. How is an XML.org Focus Area different from the OASIS TC web pages?

The XML.org Focus Area is a clearinghouse of information relative to the domain, so it's much broader in focus than the OASIS TC pages. The XML.org Focus Area will feature links to many docs on the OASIS TC site, but it will also be a place for links to information that's relevant, but not appropriate for the OASIS TC site, e.g., links to other
standards bodies and descriptions of their work, listings of product/service suppliers, links to press releases and articles containing relevant information (not necessarily OASIS-specific), links to conferences and other events that feature e-Gov topics.


5. What would the TC need to do?

Volunteers from the TC would work with OASIS staff to create the Focus Area (re-purposing a lot of content that's already on the OASIS, XML.org, and Cover Pages sites). After this initial set-up, we anticipate the task of editing and updating the information will require about one to two hours a week. This task could be assigned to a
volunteer from the OASIS e-Government TC on a permanent or rotating basis. OASIS will create an email alias for the Focus Area editor, and TC members (as well as XML.org readers) are able to send suggestions for content to that address.

It's important to realize that XML.org is a reference collection of relevant links. Content Partners are not called on to create information so much as collect it.

I believe this is a great opportunity for us to advance our work on e-governemtn standards and to establish ourselves as the centre for this work, so I would recommend that we take up this offer.  I'll include a discussion about this on the agenda of our next TC meeting but in the meantime if anyone has any views please let me have them. Also if there are any volunteers to become editor let me know.

Regards,
John

XMLorgContentPartner2.doc