Possible change to TC voting rules - input requested

[Brent Miller <bamiller@us.ibm.com>]

Disclaimer: This is my individual input
based on my experience in OASIS (it is neither the consolidated input of
my employer nor the SDD TC)

First, I will echo previous comments
about the impetus for the proposed change. Are there real problems or issues
that need to be fixed? If not, perhaps the status quo is fine.

Having said that, a cap on the number
of votes a single company can cast is not necessarily objectionable. Ideally,
this could be accomplished via a simple request to TC members rather than
a rule change.

If a rule change is truly necessary
and should occur, I believe that the cap should be a fixed number, probably
no less than 3, votes per company, rather than some formulaicly derived
number or a "one company, one vote" method. Also, I think that
the following considerations would need to be taken into account:

• How would a vote cap relate to voting member status? Suppose a company has 5 voting members but a cap of 3 votes per company is imposed. Would the number of voting members per company be similarly capped? If not, what is the mechanism for the company to cast its votes? Managing a vote cap along with the list of voting members, which changes over time, could become a logistical problem.
• If a rule change is approved, when would it become effective? It is possible that the progress and plans of certain TCs could be affected by a rule change such as the one proposed.

In summary:

• First, any requirement for a rule change should first be validated.
• Second, if a rule change truly is required, I believe that it should be undertaken cautiously and be as simple, and cause the least amount of disruption, as possible, and should not discourage participation and contributions.

Regards,
Brent

Brent A. Miller
STSM, Autonomic Computing Architecture
IBM Corp.
Tel. 919-543-6959 (TIE 441)

"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But,
in practice, there is." 
-- Jan L.A. van de Snepscheut