Proposal for an ODF Implementation, Interoperability and Conformance (IIC) TC

[robert_weir@us.ibm.com]

As many of you know, I've had an abiding
interest in ODF interoperability.  I'm not so interested in the speculative
side of how we'll all be happy and harmonized a decade from now.  I'm
more interested in the practical side of how to ensure that two ODF implementations
today can improve their interoperability.  There are some basic engineering
activities that must take place to achieve a high degree of interoperability
between ODF implementations, and this includes things like creating test
suites, conformance assessment tools, profiles, etc.

We discussed this issue at some length
in the ODF Adoption TC.  We all agreed that an effort in this area
was necessary, but it wasn't clear where it would best be placed.  In
the ODF TC?  In the ODF Adoption TC?  Outside of OASIS altogether?
  None of these were a good fit.

So, we decided to propose a new TC within
OASIS called the "ODF Implementation, Interoperability and Conformance
(IIC) TC".  This TC could own everything from test suites, to
mobile or web profiles of ODF, to implementation guides, to technical reports
on how to use ODF with other standards.  The charter can be as broad
or narrow as we want it to be.  I've proposed a draft charter, which
you can read below, based on the charter of the ebXML Implementation, Interoperability
and Conformance (IIC) TC.

The first step in creating a new TC
in OASIS to to create a discussion list and send out a Call for Participation.
 This happened last night and the note is appended below.  This
is where we can discuss the terms of the new TC's charter, the goals, deliverables,
etc., before putting this out for a formal approval ballot within OASIS.
 This stage of the process can last up to 90 days, though we can move
for the ballot sooner than that, once we have sufficient interest and consensus.


I'm inviting you to join this list and
to share your thoughts on the charter of this new TC, and hopefully to
participate in it eventually.  There is no intent to overlap with
the deliverables of the ODF TC.  In fact, this new TC could provide
an avenue for producing some deliverables that are outside the limits of
what an ISO-track standard typically contains.  For example, a test
suite for OpenFormula would be a natural deliverable for the new TC.  

Everyone is eligible to join the discussion
list, OASIS members as well as non-members.  But you will need to
subscribe to the mailing list by sending a note to: 

oiic-formation-discuss-subscribe@lists.oasis-open.org 

and then responding to the confirmation note. 

Regards, 

-Rob 

-----Original Message-----
From: Mary McRae [mailto:marypmcrae@gmail.com]
On Behalf Of Mary McRae
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 5:30 PM
To: members@lists.oasis-open.org; tc-announce@lists.oasis-open.org
Cc: oiic-formation-discuss@lists.oasis-open.org
Subject: [members] New OASIS Discussion List: oiic-formation-discuss

     OASIS members have requested that we open a new discussion
list, regarding
a possible new OASIS ODF Implementation, Interoperability and Conformance
(IIC)
TC. The proposal conforms to our rules and is set forth below. Standards
always
are improved by broad participation. OASIS encourages open discussions
about
possible new TCs, by offering a dedicated e-mail list for 90 days, upon
member
request. The address of this list will be:

oiic-formation-discuss@lists.oasis-open.org

Anyone, including OASIS members and non-members, may subscribe to this
list in
order to discuss the merits and possibility of the proposed project.  The
list
is now open, and can be joined by sending a message to:

oiic-formation-discuss-subscribe@lists.oasis-open.org. [1]

The discussion list is governed by Section 2.1 of the OASIS TC Process
[2], and
may last up to 90 days.  Typically, participants in the list will
determine
whether there is sufficient interest to form an OASIS TC, and then collaborate
on a draft TC charter for submission. Only subscribers to the list will
have the
ability to post to it. If you do not wish to subscribe, but would like
to
monitor the discussion, archives of the list will be visible at [3].

Please feel free to forward this announcement to any other appropriate
lists.
OASIS is an open standards organization, and welcomes your feedback. We
look
forward to assisting parties interested in joining the community of
implementers, technologists, academics and end-users contributing to open
standardization for e-business and information exchange.


Mary P McRae
Manager of TC Administration, OASIS
web: www.oasis-open.org
 

[1] Additional assistance is available, if needed, from the contacts listed
at
http://www.oasis-open.org/who/contactus.php
[2] http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/process-2008-02-05.php#discussLists
[3] http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/

====
DISCUSSION LIST PROPOSAL

(1) The name of the discussion list, which shall not be the same as the
name of
the list in which the TC itself shall operate if formed. 

The proposed discussion list name is "oiic-formation". 
(2) A preliminary statement of scope for the TC whose formation the list
is
intended to discuss. 

It is the intent of the ODF Implementation, Interoperability and Conformance
(IIC) TC to provide a means for software implementors and service providers
to
create applications which adhere to the ODF specification and are able
to
interoperate. As such, the purpose of the IIC TC includes the following:
1.                
To publish test suites of ODF for applications of ODF to check their
conformance with the Standard and to confirm their interoperability; 
2.                
To provide feedback, where necessary, to the ODF TC on ways in which the
standard could improve interoperability; 
3.                
To produce a set of implementation guidelines; 
4.                
To define interoperability with related standards by the creation of
profiles or technical reports; 
5.                
To coordinate, in conjunction with the ODF Adoption TC,  OASIS InterOp
demos related to ODF;
  
The IIC TC may also liaise with other standard bodies whose work is leveraged
in
present or future ODF specifications. These include, but are not limited
to, the
W3C and ISO/IEC JTC1/SC34. 

(3) The names, electronic mail addresses, and OASIS Organizational or Individual
Membership affiliations of the three or more Eligible Persons proposing
to
create the discussion list. 
Rob Weir, robert_weir@us.ibm.com, IBM 
Charles-H. Schulz, robert_weir@us.ibm.com, Ars Aperta 
Don Harbison, donald_harbison@us.ibm.com IBM 
Alan Clark, aclark@novell.com, Novell 

(4) The name of the discussion list leader. 
Rob Weir


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