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Subject: Charter and Deliverables: the "State of Interoperability" assessment activity


RE: 2008-07-24 Robert Weir, Draft Interoperability and Conformance TC formation proposal (0.3)
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200807/msg00215.html

CONCERN:

I am startled to see assessments of the state of interoperability to be defined as the earliest work to be carried out.  I don't understand how this showed up with such prominence.  I would think that there are methodological issues and that maybe there needs to be some precursor to establishment of this activity.

Shouldn't we also discuss whether the same group should perform this activity?  It strikes me that separation might be helpful in assuring some sort of objectivity and balance in the process.

ANALYSIS:

I am not concerned with this the same way as Peter Dolding is on this thread:
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200807/msg00195.html
I can see this assessment being done without requiring test suites, at least in the near term.

On the other hand,  I find it odd that the top item in the newest drafts gives prominence to something that did not appear to capture the attention of the discussion list:

"   1.   Initially and periodically thereafter, to review the current state 
of conformance and interoperability among ODF implementations, and to 
produce an impartial report that notes areas of accomplishment as well as 
areas needing improvement, and which recommends prioritized activities for 
advancing the state of conformance and interoperability among ODF 
implementations"

The first-named deliverable is

"   1.   Initial report on the state of ODF conformance and 
interoperability (March 1st, 2009);

This deliverable also appears at http://sites.google.com/a/odfiic.org/tc/Home
I don't recall it being discussed on the list.  I apologize if I missed it.

I think I understand the motivation for wanting to deal with conformance and profiles in areas where interoperability is most deficient, but I am still surprised to see this considering that it doesn't seem to have been discussed at all.  The logistics and establishment of even-handedness and objectivity are of particular concern to me.

APPRAISAL

On review, I find the preliminary statement of scope more understandable:
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00001.html

"It is the intent of the ODF Implementation, Interoperability and Conformance (IIC) TC to provide a means for software implementers 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;"

This is in marked contrast with the 0.3 proposal for the charter.

I accept that (3) has been dropped from the name of the proposed TC.  Now that I am looking at (3) as worded, I am disappointed that such activity is not in scope.  That sort of information seems very useful, in the same way that reference implementations can also be useful carriers of that kind of consideration (in the accompanying documentation at least).  I would leave implementation guidelines in the scope even if no deliverable is defined at this point.

I also accept the ways that the discussion has led to modification of the items in the original list, where the assessment guide falls short of providing documents and automated tests.


 - Dennis

Dennis E. Hamilton
------------------
NuovoDoc: Design for Document System Interoperability 
mailto:Dennis.Hamilton@acm.org | gsm:+1-206.779.9430 
http://NuovoDoc.com http://ODMA.info/dev/ http://nfoWorks.org 

CHARTER DISCUSSION BACKGROUND

I am noticing that the charter and deliverables discussion is based on a number of threads.  For ease of review and reference, I have captured selected nodes of the threads to help me recover elements of the discussion that attracted my attention.

As a late joiner on the formation-discussion list, I don't have mailing-list posts that I can archive and search in my e-mail client.  So these items are for my reference.  


General Requirement
-------------------

2008-06-09 Rob Weir, Re-focusing on the proposed Charter
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00062.html

2008-06-16 Eduardo Gutentag, The conduct of this list
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00372.html
Interesting explanation of what this list is for and how it works, who owns it, and how it ends

2008-06-20 Robert Weir, Re: Scope and Focus
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00565.html
summarizing compilation of thread on scope and focus for the TC

2008-06-23 Andrew Updegrove, Re: Standards and Antitrust
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00660.html
Endorsement of a precautionary statement made necessary by some ranting on the list, with important link to the OASIS Antitrust Guidelines: http://www.oasis-open.org/who/antitrust-policy.php


(1)(d) Deliverables
-------------------

2008-06-12 Rob Weir, (1)(d) A list of deliverables, with projected completion dates
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00200.html
wisely goes to prioritization instead of dates, speaks of profiling as a kind of leveling (different from my use of the term, where profiles are user-creatable and processor-honored in some way, with a connection to use of templates too)

2008-06-13 Rob Weir, Re: (1) (d) A list of deliverables ...
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00263.html
including a lengthy analysis of this aspect by Paul Merrell (marbux)

2008-06-16 Michael Brauer, Re: (1) (d) A list of deliverables ...
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00344.html
Conclusion of a series of builds on the original topic

2008-06-20 Dave Pawson, Deliverables.  Summary.
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00533.html
A computer is a terrible thing to waste, and a wonderful way to pull together comments on a theme

2008-06-23 Robert Weir, OASIS Guidelines to Writing Conformance Clauses
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00666.html
linking to http://docs.oasis-open.org/templates/TCHandbook/ConformanceGuidelines.html
Although I am not sure how this works as a metacondition on OIIC-produced specifications (or the conformance to OIIC-produced specifications, um ...)

(1)(e) Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
----------------------------------------- 

2008-06-10 Rob Weir, (1)(e) Specification of the IPR Mode under which the TC will operate
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00077.html
linking to OASIS policy: http://www.oasis-open.org/who/intellectualproperty.php
and (later on the thread): http://www.oasis-open.org/who/ipr/ipr_faq.php

(1)(f-g) Audience and Working Language
--------------------------------------

2008-06-11 Rob Weir, Re: (1)(f) ...
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00122.html
Summarizing the expansion on this, with some confusion about working language

2008-06-13 Rob Weir, Level of detail needed in a TC Charter
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00253.html
coming back to the direct users of TC output and some debate over that?

2008-06-17 Mary McRae, FW: Level of detail needed in a TC Charter
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00401.html
clarifies what (1)(f) is about and how it applies

(2)(a) Identification of Similar Work
-------------------------------------

2008-06-19 Robert Weir, Question 2(a) Identification of Similar work
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00445.html
includes harmonization-work efforts and test suite work (with link)

2008-0-23 Michael Shaw, Re: OASIS Test Assertions Guidelines (TAG) TC
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00700.html

(2)(f) Member Section
---------------------

2008-06-19 Rob Weir, Question (2)(f)
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oiic-formation-discuss/200806/msg00446.html
Pointing out that Member Section is a technical term for OASIS and not applicable to OIIC

[end]



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