Re: Welcome to the Working Group Process Committee

["B. Tommie Usdin" <btusdin@mulberrytech.com>]

Jon --

First, thank you for the opportunity to participate in this process.
(Speaking as a former committee chair who resigned because of an unexpected
blitz of reporting requirements that seemed to appear out of nowhere, with
immediate deadlines, and without warning I think this process is a very
good idea.)

After a first read of all the materials you suggested for reading and
comment I have a few general comments:

* the OASIS committee process should be well enough documented that all
participants know what they are obligated to do, and when (committee chairs
should not be periodically surprised by new reporting requirements, for
example)

* the OASIS committee process should be loose enough to accommodate efforts
with special needs, perhaps with the approval of the Board, but without
changes to the ByLaws

* the OASIS committee process should be open enough to allow all interested
persons to participate in one way or another, but efficient enough to allow
work to get done.  Recognizing that these goals are often in conflict, I
suggest that committee work should be open and public at regular intervals,
but not at all times.

* the documented OASIS committee process should be inplementable.  One of
the confusions I have in looking at the ByLaws and thinking about the
current committee process is that the ByLaws seem to be largely irrelevant
to current practice.  Worse, there seems to be little documentation of the
current practice; and the current rules seem to change constantly.  If we
are going to prescribe a process let's make it one that can work.


-- Tommie


======================================================================
B. Tommie Usdin                        mailto:btusdin@mulberrytech.com
Mulberry Technologies, Inc.                http://www.mulberrytech.com
17 West Jefferson Street                           Phone: 301/315-9631
Suite 207                                    Direct Line: 301/315-9634
Rockville, MD  20850                                 Fax: 301/315-8285
----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Mulberry Technologies: A Consultancy Specializing in SGML and XML

======================================================================