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Subject: [topicmaps-comment] Topic Maps Member Section meeting

Hello all!

The topic maps member section as a whole will be meeting on May 23 in the
Victoria Room at the Princesa Sofia Hotel in Barcelona at 1600-1800 local
time.  The main purpose of this meeting is to review the drafts of the
charter and bylaws in order to get the member section fully established.
Both documents are attached to this message.

The topic map TCs will be meeting on May 24 also in the Victoria Room at the
Princesa Sofia Hotel:

- Pub Subj 0900-1200
- XMLvoc 1300-1600
- Geo Lang 1800-2000

Please let me know if you plan on attending on the 23rd at
mailto:efreese@datafoundry.com.

Thanks!
Eric Freese
Interim Chair
--- Begin Message ---
Title: TopicMaps.Org CHARTER AND BY-LAWS - 2001.03.02

TopicMaps.Org Charter

CONTENTS:

  1. Mission Statement
  2. Officers
  3. Membership
  4. Technical Agenda
  5. Marketing Agenda

Mission Statement:

TopicMaps.org is a non-profit, international consortium of providers of products and services, dedicated to accelerating the further adoption, application, and implementation of Topic Navigation Maps (ISO 13250) (Topic Navigation Maps generically are referred to as "topic maps" herein.), the international standard for creating, maintaining and interchanging topic-based navigational aids.

TopicMaps.org provides its members with an open forum to discuss market needs and directions, and to develop and provide guidelines to enhance product interoperability. The consortium receives, coordinates, and disseminates information describing topic map methodologies, technologies, and implementations.

ISO 13250 does not mandate a particular architecture or method of implementing topic navigation maps. Topic map navigation software can exist as a standalone application, as an integral part of other information systems, as a layer upon other information systems, whether used locally or as part of a web-based environment, to name only a few possible implmentation strategies. Given the range of diversity for implementing topic navigation maps, TopicMaps.org will establish guidelines on aspects of topic maps shared by all implementations and promotes "best practices" in the construction of topic maps, without regard to the details of particular implementations.

Officers:

The TopicMaps.org officers are as follows:

  • Chairman
  • Technical Lead
  • Marketing Lead

Membership

Membership in TopicMaps.org requires membership (in any category) in OASIS. The voting rights of members vary depending upon the type of OASIS membership and whether the vote is taken at the level of a TC under TopicMaps.org or by TopicMaps.org. Those rights are defined in the By-Laws of TopicMaps.org. TopicMaps.org offers two levels of membership, Sponsor and Participant. Members should select the category that best fits their individual needs, resources and involvement in the deployment of topic maps technology.

Sponsor

The Sponsor category offers the greatest opportunity for participants wishing to highlight their involvement in the development and deployment of topic maps as a technology. This membership is designed to further the "branding" of products or services with an association with official efforts to create both standards and best practices for the use of topic maps.

  • Sponsor Annual Fee (calendar year): $5,000.00

Sponsor membership carries with it the following benefits:

  1. Right to vote on technical resolutions and participate in technical editorial review.
  2. Participation in marketing committees and in joint marketing efforts.
  3. Inclusion in all Consortium press releases and public relations materials.
  4. Company and product descriptions featured on TopicMaps.org web site with link to company home page.
  5. Company press releases featured on TopicMaps.org web site.
  6. Ability to submit, review and distribute TopicMaps.org developed materials, including presentations, white papers and educational materials.
  7. Use of TopicMaps.org logo on marketing materials.
  8. Access to TopicMaps.org mailing lists.
  9. Attendance at TopicMaps.org events and committee meetings.
  10. Participation in technical discussion groups.
  11. Access to TopicMaps.org technical output.
  12. Primary listing in TopicMaps.org's consultant/vendor directory.
  13. Member discounts at exhibitions, conferences and other events (where offered).

Participant

The Participant category is primarily for organizations or individuals who wish to participate in the development of standards and best practices for the use of topic maps as a technology but who have no need for marketing visibility.

  • Participant Annual Fee: None (but OASIS membership, any category, required)

Participant membership carries with it the following benefits:

  1. Right to vote on technical resolutions and participate in technical editorial review.
  2. Ability to submit, review and distribute TopicMaps.org developed materials, including presentations, white papers and educational materials.
  3. Access to TopicMaps.org mailing lists.
  4. Attendance at TopicMaps.org events and committee meetings.
  5. Participation in technical discussion groups.
  6. Access to TopicMaps.org technical output.
  7. Listing in TopicMaps.org's membership directory.

Technical Agenda

Topic Navigation Maps (ISO 13250) offer the ability to effectively navigate large and complex bodies of information. Inherent in the topic map paradigm is the ability to combine such topic maps by a process known as merger. Successful use and merger of topic maps depends upon construction of robust topic maps and ancillary mechanisms such a public subject identifiers.

Topic Navigation Maps (ISO 13250) and continuing work at the ISO on this standard, provides the technical infrastructure for building and deployment of topic maps as a technology. TopicMaps.org seeks to address the more practical questions of how construct topic maps based upon that standard and to document "best practices" for topic map construction. TopicMaps.org will also provide guidance on the construction of Public Subject Identifiers and will provide reference implementations of such mechanisms.

Marketing Agenda

TopicMaps.org promotes the use of topic maps in all types of information navigation.

TopicMaps.org has the following specific marketing goals for the promotion of topic maps:

  • Increase awareness of the advantages of topic maps for information navigation
  • Promote the sharing of information within and between groups using topic maps
  • Promote the use of topic maps among information delivery specialists
To meet these specific goals, the Marketing lead may (but is not required) to take the following steps:

  • Best Practices: Sample topic maps and other topic map related materials will be maintained that show the "best practices" for topic maps as undestood by the members of TopicMaps.org.

  • Educational Materials: Vendor neutral introductions to topic maps as a technology will be created and maintained by TopicMaps.org.

  • Implementations: With the consent of individual users, TopicMaps.org will maintain a list of contact information for users who have implemented topic maps for internal or public use.

  • TopicMaps.org Logo: A logo will be created for the Sponsor class of membership. That logo may be displayed on the sponsor's website or on any of its products and documentation. This should be crearly marked as denoting membership in TopicMaps.org and not representing an evaluation of the product with which is is associated.

  • TopicMaps.org Website: TopicMaps.org will maintain a website for news and resources concerning the design, implementation and use of topic maps. For members choosing the Sponsor level of membership, a special listing of supporting vendors will be maintained.

Eric,

I have attached a very rough first pass on the TopicMaps.org charter. 
Note that I have moved all the voting stuff to the by-laws, so we can 
fashion the charter as more of a marketing document.

Comments on subjects I should address, avoid, etc.?

Don't spend any time on the formatting or organization. The latter parts 
were written in the 12 - 13th hours at the keyboard and are probably 
incoherent anyway. ;-)


Patrick

--
Patrick Durusau
Director of Research and Development
Society of Biblical Literature
pdurusau@emory.edu
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Title: TopicMaps.Org By-Laws

TopicMaps.Org By-Laws

CONTENTS:

  1. Officers
  2. Technical Committees
  3. Intellectual Property
  4. Membership
  5. Voting Rights
  6. Other

Officers:

TopicMaps.org has three (3) officers, Chairman, who is assisted by the Technical Lead and the Marketing Lead in the management of TopicMaps.org and promoting the development and use of topic maps in general.

These officers are elected for one year terms at the annual meeting of TopicMaps.org by simple majority vote of the Membership of TopicMaps.org. The duties of these officers are as follows:

  • Chairman: The Chairman shall be the chief executive officer of TopicMaps.org and shall supervise and control the affairs of TopicMaps.org and the activities of the officers. He or she shall perform all duties incident to his or her office and such other duties as may be required by law, by these By-laws, or by the OASIS charter or by-laws, including presiding at all meetings of the Members. The Chairman or his/her agent shall be responsible for maintaining the membership roll for TopicMaps.org

  • Technical Lead: The Technical Lead is responsible for monitoring technical work on topic maps by the ISO and reporting the status of such work to the Chairman on a regular basis.

  • Marketing Lead: The Marketing Lead is responsible for the promotion of topic maps as a technology as well as the participation on topic maps development efforts, such as TopicMaps.org.

Technical Committees

Technical Committees within TopicMaps.org are formed according to the more general technical commitee requirements of OASIS with the following additions and modifications:

  • All Technical Committees formed under TopicMaps.org must be approved by a simple majority of members of TopicMaps.org. At the discretion of the Chairman, voting to approve a Technical Committee may be by voice vote at a physical meeting of TopicMaps.org or by email voting.

  • After complying with all appropriate OASIS requirements for the formation of a Technical Committee, such proposals shall be transmitted to the Chairman of TopicMaps.org for posting on the TopicMaps.org mailing list with (at the Chairman's discretion) either a call for email voting or announcing the addition of that proposal to the agenda for the next physical meeting of TopicMaps.org.

  • Members of OASIS, in any membership category, shall be eligible to participate in the work of any Technical Committee and to vote on the work product of such Technical Committee.

Intellectual Property

The intellectual property rights to or concerning all work products of TopicMaps.org or its working groups is expressly governed by the OASIS Policy on Intellectual Property Rights, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Membership

Membership in TopicMaps.org is premised upon the requirement of membership in OASIS. Additionally, any OASIS member desiring to join TopicMaps.org, shall request that the Chairman enter their name as a member of TopicMaps.org. The Chairman will maintain a list of such members.

Voting Rights

Voting - General: Within TopicMaps.org or any technical committee, every person or organization holding an OASIS membership, without regard to other affliation or condition of employment, shall have one vote on any question raised for decision.

Voting - Majority: Within TopicMaps.org or any technical committee, all questions shall be decided by simple majority of those casting votes.

Email Voting: The Chair may, at its discretion, post motions, resolutoins or other matters requiring voting by the membership, to the TopicMaps.org mailing list. A time for returning votes to the Chairman shall be set not less than ten days following the posting of the call for votes, nor more than twenty days from the posting of the call for voting. A simply majority of the votes cast is sufficient to approve or disapprove any matter brought for a vote of the membership.

Other

In the absence of a rule governing a particular issue, the more general requirements and rules of OASIS are controlling. On issues of procedural rules, where a different result is not compelled by the charter and by-laws of OASIS, then the most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order is the controlling authority.

Eric,

A first cut on the by-laws for TopicMaps.org. I just dropped all  the 
various memberships (participating, etc.) from the by-laws as unnecessary.

Let me know what you think.

Patrick

-- 
Patrick Durusau
Director of Research and Development
Society of Biblical Literature
pdurusau@emory.edu
--- End Message ---

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