Re: [office] Comments and feature requests

[marbux <marbux@gmail.com>]

Thank you, Mary. I wasn't aware of the survey and completing it is my next task.

My sympathies on not having a larger staff to help herd hundreds of cats. :-)

Best regards,

Marbux

On 5/10/07, Mary McRae <mary.mcrae@oasis-open.org> wrote:
> No offense taken; what members often fail to realize is that we are entirely supported by member dues, and have only a
> dozen or so people on staff including our IT dept of 3. We now have a great team in place that has made tremendous
> strides in our IT infrastructure,  enabling us to add to new offerings to our members such as Drupal-based focus areas
> and the OASIS Library currently in development. We have two major sources of input to the ongoing development schedule:
> internal-focused (activities necessary to ensure our infrastructure is solid) and external-focused (those needs
> expressed by our members). Scott McGrath, Senior Director of Member Services, has been sending around a survey asking
> members a series of questions to help improve the organization
> (https://www.oasis-open.org/apps/2007_Member_Survey/members/register.php). One of those questions is: "The one
> infrastructure tool or system that OASIS should provide to make my TC work more valuable is:". If you haven't yet
> completed the survey, I urge you to do so. We take member feedback very seriously.
>
> Regards,
>
> Mary
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: marbux [mailto:marbux@gmail.com]
> > Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 2:33 AM
> > To: mary.mcrae@oasis-open.org
> > Cc: Michael Brauer; OpenDocument
> > Subject: Re: [office] Comments and feature requests
> >
> > Hi,  Mary,
> >
> > I thought I might write again to make it more clear that my
> > last note was intended to be humorous. I have worked in large
> > organizations myself and am well aware of the difficulties of
> > making changes happen quickly in such a setting.
> >
> > But I thought it wickedly ironic that an organization that,
> > inter alia, develops business process and workflow XML
> > languages is still insisting on email for submission and
> > tracking of issues. It's somehow akin to using a typewriter
> > as the primary tool to develop algorithms for a word
> > processor or using the Pony Express to transmit maintenance
> > data for a working telegraph line.  Do-able, but definitely
> > not taking advantage of the very tools OASIS helps create for
> > others in similar circumstances.
> >
> > Hence my quip about the OASIS and the 21st Century. It was
> > one of those moments that gave me a much-appreciated giggle.
> > I'm thankful I didn't have a mouthful of coffee when I read
> > your post; I'd be buying a new keyboard!
> >
> > Thank you for the happy moment when I needed one,
> >
> > Marbux
> >
> >
> > On 5/9/07, marbux <marbux@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Mary, thank you for bringing these constraints to my
> > attention. May I
> > > respectfully suggest that OASIS consider getting into the
> > 21st Century
> > > in regard to issue submission and tracking. Email is a really lousy
> > > solution to the problem. It might as well be voice-mail. :-)
> > >
> > > Best regards,
> > >
> > > Marbux (who is still waiting for plain text editing to be
> > enabled in
> > > Drupal on opendocument.xml.org so more complex and far less buggy
> > > formatting can be used, a 10-minute task for OASIS support
> > staff for
> > > which I provided the step-by-step cookbook several months ago).
> > >
> > >
> > > On 5/9/07, Mary McRae <mary.mcrae@oasis-open.org> wrote:
> > > > Hello again everyone,
> > > >
> > > >   I guess it's my day to weigh in on postings.
> > > >
> > > >   OASIS *requires* all comments from non-TC members to be
> > submitted
> > > > through the OASIS comment mail list - this is for IPR reasons and
> > > > ensures that anyone posting agrees to the IPR Policy for
> > the particular TC. Also, OASIS Policy requires that all work
> > of the TC be hosted on OASIS servers
> > (http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/process.php#2.8).
> > > >
> > > >   There are a number of TCs that use various systems to
> > track issues
> > > > lists - some use XML, some use spreadsheets, some use the
> > TC wiki.
> > > > In each case links are maintained to the original comment
> > in the email archives, a responsible party is assigned and
> > the status of outstanding issues is reviewed at each meeting.
> > > >
> > > >   Note that any comments received during a public review
> > *must* be
> > > > tracked and logged and that log becomes part of the
> > submission for a Committee Specification vote.
> > > >
> > > >   Please feel free to contact me regarding any questions
> > or if I can provide any assistance.
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > >
> > > > Mary
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: marbux [mailto:marbux@gmail.com]
> > > > > Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 12:22 PM
> > > > > To: Michael Brauer
> > > > > Cc: OpenDocument
> > > > > Subject: Re: [office] Comments and feature requests
> > > > >
> > > > > On 5/9/07, Michael Brauer <Michael.Brauer@sun.com> wrote:
> > > > > > Dear TC members,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > below Rob and Patrick have made some suggestions how we
> > > > > could create a
> > > > > > process for the comment handling. I personally like these
> > > > > ideas, and I
> > > > > > think we should establish such a process. However, if we
> > > > > > establish this process, we need someone who keeps track of
> > > > > > comments, and the comment registry. Is someone of you
> > interested
> > > > > > in taking over this task, or volunteers to do so?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > We further may require some lightweight process for feature
> > > > > requests
> > > > > > that we get as comments. I could imagine that the one who
> > > > > keeps track
> > > > > > of the comments alerts the TC of new requests, and asks for a
> > > > > > volunteer who may process the request within the TC. The
> > > > > task of this
> > > > > > person would be to introduce the request to the TC so that
> > > > > the TC can
> > > > > > accept or decline it, and, in case the request gets
> > accepted, to
> > > > > > advance the proposal to a state where the TC can vote on it.
> > > > > > Obviously, there could be different volunteers for
> > > > > different proposals.
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Based on hard experience, I would much prefer a process that is
> > > > > less subject to breakdown and makes it easier on all concerned.
> > > > > There is no shortage of software especially designed
> > for tracking
> > > > > issues as they are received and through their handling
> > and final
> > > > > disposition. See generally,
> > > > > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issue_tracking_system>; see also
> > > > > comparison of issue tracking systems,
> > > > >
> > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_issue_tracking_systems>.
> > > > >
> > > > > The suggested workflow is undependable and fraught with
> > > > > opportunities for issues to be lost. E.g., dividing
> > responsibility
> > > > > among different volunteers to track different types of
> > issues  in
> > > > > their own offices invites the "I thought you were handling that
> > > > > kind of issue"
> > > > > confusion. The biggest design flaw in the present system is
> > > > > requiring/allowing people to submit issues via email. A link on
> > > > > the TC public home page to a web form with defined fields for
> > > > > submission of issues with a relational database back
> > end would  be
> > > > > far less work for all concerned and be far more reliable.
> > > > >
> > > > > I am aware of the barriers to getting software installed in the
> > > > > OASIS infrastructure. If there is not already an
> > adequate tracking
> > > > > system available for TC use, we might be better served by a
> > > > > volunteer hosting such a service on their own system. There are
> > > > > also free SAAS sites that offer issue tracker capabilities.
> > > > >
> > > > > The web form could also easily allow
> > self-categorization of issue
> > > > > types by those who submit them.
> > > > >
> > > > > The workflow suggested leaves the actual tracking off-line and
> > > > > reuquires submission of a monthly report. A system that tracks
> > > > > such issues dynamically and is always available for
> > review would
> > > > > alleviate such concerns. Fact: volunteers can and will
> > become ill,
> > > > > take vacations, get pressed for time, or experience
> > other barriers
> > > > > that can interfere with the process suggested.
> > > > >
> > > > > Many issue tracking packages also enable automated email
> > > > > notifications when issues are submitted or their
> > tickets modified.
> > > > > I'm subscribed to a couple such systems myself, and the
> > TC mailing
> > > > > list could be subscribed so that the notifications are
> > automated.
> > > > >
> > > > > We need issue tracking software.
> > > > >
> > > > > Best regards,
> > > > >
> > > > > Marbux
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
>
>