Re: [oiic-formation-discuss] Summary and Focus?

[robert_weir@us.ibm.com]

Shawn <sgrover@open2space.com> wrote on 06/19/2008
10:29:09 PM:

>
> I ask for some clarification on the focus of the TC.  I suspect
this may 
> have gotten lost in the clutter, as only Dave has responded directly.
> So I'll reiterate my concerns here.
>

Let me give this a try.  We covered most of this
in the first days of the list, but maybe that was before you joined.
 
> Focus.  The discussions are meandering in many directions (not
> necessarily a bad thing).  But I think the driving focus for
the TC 
> needs to be determined to help guide those discussions.
> 
> 1. Are we testing ODF and it's capabilities (with regards to 
> conformance, implementation, and interoperability)?
> 2. Are we testing how applications interpret ODF?
> 3. Are we testing how to use ODF to interact with other formats (OOXML,
> CDR, etc.)
> 4. All the above?
> 5. Some of the above?
> 

I don't think the TC will be testing anything, in
terms of downloading vendor software, executing tests of it, score and
officially reporting the results.  We're not proposing the creation
of a testing lab or the creation of a certifying lab.  But we are
creating assets that could be used by third party testing labs, or by implementors
directly, to evaluate their conformance to the ODF standard, and to evaluate
interoperability scenarios.

What I am hearing in terms of deliverables include
the following:

1) Researching the state of ODF interoperability today
and issuing a report, with recommendations.  Update this report periodically.
2) Researching the best practices in profiles, and
issuing a "ODF Profiles Requirements" document
3) Creating an "ODF Conformance Test Requirements"
document that details the exact items required to test conformance of an
ODF document and of an ODF application to the ODF standard.
4) Creating an ODF Interoperability Test Requirements
document that defines additional tests, including an Acid-like test and
other interoperability tests.
5) Create the actual ODF instance documents needed
to meet the requirements of the Interoperability Test Requirements above.

6) Write profile of ODF to improve interoperability
in specific areas.  I've heard ODF for archiving and ODF for web mentioned.
7) Write guidelines for ODF implementors on various
topics, i.e., how to use the internationalization features of ODF.
8) Write a report on best practices in creating interoperable
documents with ODF.
9) Unspecified deliverables on improving interoperability
with other markup languages, e.g., DITA, OOXML.

There may be some others (I need to go through the
list traffic again), but does that list give you a better idea?

> If we can determine this "focus", the discussion will be
much more 
> concise and directed (I believe).
> 
> I've expressed my own views in the linked message.  So I'll not
> reiterate them at the moment.
> 
> This discussion of what I'm calling "focus" speaks directly
to the scope 
> of the TC.  Which is one of the things we need to determine anyways.
> 

What I put above is more like what the charter would
call deliverables.  We can craft a more elaborate scope statement
which would be broad enough to allow the above deliverables (or whatever
subset of them we agree to) while also being reasonably flexible without
at the same time being overly broad. 

> Thank you for any comments.
> 
> Shawn
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: oiic-formation-discuss-
> unsubscribe@lists.oasis-open.org
> For additional commands, e-mail: oiic-formation-discuss-
> help@lists.oasis-open.org
>