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[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] Quite Standards Questions
 Hi, In terms of standards, am I right or wrong in thinking that DCD replaced XML_Data ? Also, is DCD being replaced by something else ? I remember reading or hearing something but I cant remember what. Regards, Richard. *********************************************** * E-Mail mailto:RJA@a... * * WEB http://www.arpsolutions.demon.co.uk * *********************************************** -----Original Message----- From: Buss, Jason A <jabuss@c...> To: 'xml-dev@i...' <xml-dev@i...> Date: 8 February 1999 22:38 Subject: RE: "Clean Specs" > >>Perhaps in this modern world, some of the rather large fees charged >>by W3C for membership could go towards hiring some technical writers >>to address this issue. IMNSHO, the amount of time that we've all >>spent thrashing about with namespaces is an example of intelligence, >>time and energy that could have been avoided by a standard that >>addressed some of the issues better. > >>If standards are the way we'll do business (and I'm all for that!) >>then why not invest in the best possible standards up front? Just >>because IETF and other traditions made do without, doesn't mean that >>we should be penny wise and pound foolish now. Clarity is a net gain >>for W3C members, and for the larger community, as the cost of >>incompatible implementations is significant. > >Avi > >At 5:40 PM -0600 2/7/99, W. Eliot Kimber wrote: >> The XML WG was an all-volunteer project, as are most standards efforts. >> Those of us who participated did so primarily as a personal commitment, >not >> as something our employers (those of us who have them) pay us to do. >> >> Standards development is not a commercial process--there is no budget from >> which technical writers might be hired. The W3C only administers, it does >> not fund. Same for ISO. Some national bodies do fund some standards >> development (BSI, the British Standards Institute), but that funding will >> tend to be used to support the technologists developing the standard and >> not writers crafting the words. >> >> So while it's true that most, if not all, specifications could benefit >from > > professional writers, it usually isn't an option for standards >developers > >> > Well, has anyone considered employing real, professional technical >> > authors to write the specifications? >> > >As chair of the DOM WG, I (and I think the editors of the specs) > >would be overjoyed were someone to volunteer the services of a > >real, professional technical author who could help in the process >of > >getting good specs out the door. However, as has been pointed out > >by others on this list, this support is difficult to find, as W3C > >seldom has these resources available. > > Maybe it is time some of us who have been "put off" by the way the >Namespaces recommendation to offer our services, under the auspices of the >WG for XML and XML related standards, to go through and annotate the drafts >and recommendations, as they come up for the vote. > > I didn't have trouble with the XML recommendation or the XSL working >draft. The DOM took me a couple of reads, and I have read the namespaces >recommendation 3 times and still have some questions, but I am looking here >and other places to find the answers before I climb up in here and get all >surly with the spec writers. > > I know there are a number of people who have read the spec and are >upset with the concept of namespaces. I am still trying to grasp parts of >it myself. But I think a lot of this is because I am a technical writer by >trade. I prepare documents for the end-user. I am conditioned to write >things from the perspective of the person actually utilizing the documents; >I still wince at typos. If I hadn't had the background in SGML that I have, >I would have been lucky to get past the XML spec itself. > > IMHO, if the working groups would like to see the services of >technical writers utilized, they should probably just come forward and ask. >I imagine through the W3C site or something. I think I have seen postings >from Paul saying he had been working on annotated versions of the >recommendations. If tech writers would like to see this, and it appears >that the WG's would appreciate the help, I don't see why efforts could be >made towards this. I know I would probably take up the opportunity to do >such work, even if it is on a voluntary basis. Even if some don't have the >time, surely someone would even a small amount of time to analyze and make >some notes, so if someone becomes available, they could come in with >something to start from. Even if it took a series of writers throughout the >development process, the outcome would likely justify the effort. > > Any suggestions? comments? > >Jason A. Buss >Single Engine Technical Publications >Cessna Aircraft Co. >jabuss@c... >"I don't have your solution, but I do admire your problem..." > > > > >xml-dev: A list for W3C XML Developers. To post, mailto:xml-dev@i... >Archived as: http://www.lists.ic.ac.uk/hypermail/xml-dev/ and on CD-ROM/ISBN 981-02-3594-1 >To (un)subscribe, mailto:majordomo@i... the following message; >(un)subscribe xml-dev >To subscribe to the digests, mailto:majordomo@i... the following message; >subscribe xml-dev-digest >List coordinator, Henry Rzepa (mailto:rzepa@i...) > xml-dev: A list for W3C XML Developers. To post, mailto:xml-dev@i... Archived as: http://www.lists.ic.ac.uk/hypermail/xml-dev/ and on CD-ROM/ISBN 981-02-3594-1 To (un)subscribe, mailto:majordomo@i... the following message; (un)subscribe xml-dev To subscribe to the digests, mailto:majordomo@i... the following message; subscribe xml-dev-digest List coordinator, Henry Rzepa (mailto:rzepa@i...) 
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