HAVE issues and RM issues

[Rex Brooks <rexb@starbourne.com>]

Sorry Folks,

I couldn't resist the pun, but the issues are important and I would 
rather give you all some advance notice about this. As it is 
currently put together, or, rather, not put together, I can't support 
advancing HAVE at this time. I must be put into the OASIS format and 
the entire spec needs to be gone over to ensure consistency both with 
the form of EDXL_DE, but also the direction we are going with RM. 
While we have agreed that the "substance" does not need to be 
changed, I really need to see the "entire" EM TC standard "package" 
as we have now developed it: data dictionary, DOM, spec document and 
.xsd in complete form.

Please also note, for those working on the RM, let's be sure we are 
building a self-consistent, international standard. That means our 
work stands by itself, and is not dependent on other documents except 
where we specifically defer to such, as in valueListUrns for 
categories that different groups, or even nations, may specify as 
they choose. In many cases, all this really means is metaphorically 
filing off the serial numbers (or namespaces). However, it some cases 
that may mean specifying that the value of one of our elements needs 
to come from a referenced valueListUrn, not from any given 
valueListUrn, and we may need to specifically say that we are showing 
a specifically referenced namespace only as an example.

This latter distinction needs to be understood more clearly or else 
we will always be having to say "that is just an example." People 
almost always want cut and dried rules, and they will interpret any 
rule that way first if there is any choice in how to interpret 
something.

Our use of valueListUrns is a fundamental principle in EDXL overall, 
and we need to be consistent and do our best to educate all the 
groups we work with about this feature/principle.

Regards,
Rex
-- 
Rex Brooks
President, CEO
Starbourne Communications Design
GeoAddress: 1361-A Addison
Berkeley, CA 94702
Tel: 510-849-2309