RE: [emergency] Agenda: 7/29 Call

[emtc@nc.rr.com]

This is in response to Len's email (http://www.oasis-open.org/archives/emergency/200307/msg00025.html)

We are saying the same thing. A "reference implementation" is nothing more than an implementation of the spec that not only shows it works, but that someone can look at to see a way to use it, but it does not mean nor imply (unless we have a reason to do so) it is the only way. If the word "reference" is what you are objecting to, then that is fine. It just what I have used at W3C and OASIS before, but have no preference how we term it.

Here is the snippet from the OASIS TC Guidelines that detail what we must do, which as you can see keeps "what" is built very loose:

"Certification by at least three OASIS member organizations that they are successfully using the specification. (Despite numerous requests, the OASIS TC Administrator feels it is not in the TC's best interests to further define the meaning of "successfully using". The implementation could really be anything from prototypes or proof of concept all the way up to shrink-wrapped software. Defining this further would only restrict the definition and make it harder for member organizations to say that they are successfully using the specification.) This certification can be in the form of a simple statement in email from a company representative, e.g. "I certify that XYZ company is successfully using...." The implementers must also certify that their implementations comply with known IP encumbrances (see IPR below)."

Allen