[security-jc] Question on the meaning of JC votes...

[Carlisle Adams <carlisle.adams@entrust.com>]

Title: Question on the meaning of JC votes...

Hi,

I don't think we resolved this on the call today, so I'll begin a thread for further discussion.

The SJC will generally have two types of votes:

 - procedural votes (when is the next meeting?  can we approve the previous minutes?  can all OASIS members join the mail list?);

 - TC coordination votes (common glossary?  activities that need to be done?  re-use of schema?).

The first type can certainly occur on our conference calls.  The second type, it was suggested, could take place via e-mail in order for the chairs/liaisons to get the sense of their TCs prior to voting.  I don't know if it matters whether or not those votes take place via e-mail, but they certainly do need some period of time (perhaps 2 weeks or so) to allow a polling of each of the TCs.

But, the question I raised on the call remains.  What does a SJC coordination vote mean?  Just to use the one example that was raised, consider the common glossary idea.  If, after getting the sense of the TC members, one TC votes "no" to having a common glossary, and all the other TCs vote "yes", then what is the outcome?  If the SJC has no authority over its TC members (and technically it doesn't), then the result is that there is no common glossary across the OASIS security TCs.  This would mean that SJC votes are meaningless unless there is 100% consensus (which means they are meaningless).  If member TCs will disregard SJC votes whenever they feel like it, why are they signing up to be members of the SJC at all?

My understanding is certainly in line with what Hal articulated.  SJC votes are morally binding, or impose a sort of moral obligation, on the member TCs.  Nothing in the rules of OASIS can enforce this, but if we don't impose this on ourselves then I don't see the value of this joint committee whatsoever.  Just straight information sharing doesn't need the formalism of a JC.

Karl, can you please offer your thoughts here?  How has this worked for ebXML (have they had votes?  what have the votes meant to the member TCs?)?  As a result of the discussion over the last two days, I'm really struggling to understand the value of the SJC.

Carlisle.