[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] Re: Followup: OASIS and W3C
Jon , I would like to thank you for your interest and the detailsed message that you provided. Much appreciated, Frank -----Original Message----- From: Jon Bosak <Jon.Bosak@e...> To: xml-dev@i... <xml-dev@i...> Date: Monday, May 25, 1998 7:13 PM Subject: Followup: OASIS and W3C >About a month ago, I responded to a thread on the xml-dev list about >ways in which independent developers could get access to the W3C >process by suggesting that people interested in participating in an >industry consortium related to XML should instead investigate OASIS, >the industry consortium for companies committed to product-independent >document and data interchange. Several responses to my suggestion >expressed the belief that xml-dev participants could gain access to >the W3C Member Area through devices such as the formation of >non-profit W3C member organizations, and one in particular asked about >the status of OASIS as a W3C member organization. I said that I would >try to find out what I could about these questions and report back >what I discovered. > >In the time since then, I have reviewed what the W3C itself has said >about its membership policy and have discussed these matters with both >OASIS and with one representative non-profit organization that has >joined the W3C in an attempt to gain access for individuals. This >report summarizes what I have been able to learn. > >As far as I can tell, there simply is no way for individuals to gain >access to the W3C process as individuals. A handout prepared by the >W3C that I picked up at the WWW7 Conference in Brisbane says: > > W3C is unable to accommodate individuals as members. Our > processes are designed for organizational participation, and we do > not have the support structure to handle large numbers of > individual members. > >It is possible to form a non-profit organization and join W3C (the >HTML User's Group is possibly the clearest example). But access to >the W3C Member Area is given only to specified staff members of the >organization, not to the membership of the organization itself: > > Membership is open to other "membership organizations", but in > this case the benefits of W3C membership only extend to the staff > and officers of those organizations, and do not flow through to > their own members. > >Obviously it's possible to push the boundaries of this requirement, >but my guess is that you would hit a limit at somewhere around a dozen >people. I don't know how W3C would react to applications from a >number of non-profits that just happened to consist entirely of a >dozen staff members apiece, but I suspect that additional processes >would be put into place to prevent this from happening. > >The bottom line, in other words, is that W3C conceives of itself as an >industry consortium in the classic sense, not a user forum like the >IETF, and the impression that I'm left with is that it will resist >attempts to get around its basic mission to represent the interests of >major WWW industry players. There is nothing unusual or surprising >about this. (Try joining the Air Transport Association on the grounds >that you have a personal interest in aircraft design.) > >So while I certainly don't want to discourage anyone from trying >whatever clever or devious way they can think of for getting access >for individuals to the W3C process -- in fact, I wish them luck -- I >don't come away from my investigations with a very hopeful estimation >of the odds. > >On the other hand, I am more convinced than ever that OASIS is the >right consortium for those xml-dev participants who intend to make >products or market services someday (whatever their licensing and >distribution strategy might be). Here's why: > >1. OASIS is the only industry consortium in the world whose charter is >to promote open document and data interchange in general (both on the >internet and off it). > >2. OASIS is specifically organized to satisfy the marketing and >technical needs of commercial enterprises (even individual >consultants) whose business case is based on the interoperability of >structured information -- in particular, of XML, SGML, and HTML >applications. > >It's true that OASIS is open only to companies, not individuals, but a >"company" can simply be a sole proprietorship (for example, a >single-person consultancy). In other words, you don't have to be >incorporated, you just have to join under a business name. If your >company is small -- five people or less -- then you can join as an >"associate contributor" for $800 US per year or an "associate >participant" for only $400 US per year. The difference is basically >how much marketing support you want. > >If you join as an "associate participant" then you and your employees >(if any) get to participate in the technical work of the consortium, >which is primarily focused on interoperability issues. Two important >interoperability issues that will be getting a lot of attention in >OASIS are DTD/schema/namespace registration and XML compliance (OASIS >is collaborating on this with NIST, the U.S. Government agency >responsible for commercial and scientific standards, and I think that >it could benefit from the active participation of some members of the >xml-dev list). Besides access to all of the technical work, you also >get the right, even at this lowest level of membership, to vote for >the OASIS Board of Directors, guaranteeing a minimum level of >accountability of the organization to its members. > >If you join as an "associate contributor" then you also get, for a >very reasonable price, some essential basic marketing support -- >inclusion by name in consortium press releases and public relations >materials; press releases from your company and descriptions of your >company and its products or services on the OASIS web site; use of the >OASIS logo (branding your company as a supporter of interoperability); >the ability to submit, review, and distribute OASIS white papers and >educational materials; access to OASIS mailing lists; and most >importantly, the opportunity to participate in OASIS seminars, >conference panels, and exhibits at carefully targeted industry events >throughout the year. OASIS maintains a presence at these events that >can represent your services and products even when you can't be there >in person. > >At the September Seybold Publishing Conference in San Francisco, for >example, OASIS will have a prominently located booth that can not only >distribute your product or service descriptions but can also rent >workstation demo space for the conference. OASIS also runs panels at >selected events (Documation, for example) and even holds its own "XML >Open for Business" expos to promote XML and related standards and to >showcase the offerings of its members. In the coming year there will >be two "XML Open for Business" shows in Europe (the first one is >scheduled for the Netherlands in November) and two in North America >(including New York City in July). While the most interesting >speakers available are selected for these events in order to maximize >attendance, speaking priority is given to OASIS members and tabletop >space for members in the expo area rents for as little $200. Finally, >OASIS is co-chairing most of the big GCA XML events (such as the >just-ended XML/SGML Europe '98 conference in Paris), which gives them >considerable influence over program selection. > >Now, W3C representation through OASIS is an interesting question. I >raised this at the OASIS meeting following the XML/SGML Europe >conference last week and was told that OASIS has applied for W3C >membership as a non-profit. Assuming that the application is granted, >OASIS will presumably fall under the rules already alluded to and be >granted Advisory Committee representation by one person (probably a >member of the OASIS Board) with access to W3C member forums limited to >members of the OASIS staff as in the case of other non-profit W3C >member organizations. > >Clearly there will have to be processes put in place for certifying >interested OASIS members as representatives to W3C working groups. >Board approval would seem to be the simplest and most direct way to do >this, but no one is sure at this point what the actual process will >be; my impression is that there just haven't been that many requests >from individuals who can support the rather stiff resource demands for >W3C WG participation to make this an issue yet. But in any case, I >think it's fair to say that any qualified member with the means to >participate in a W3C Working Group that was still accepting >participants would find it relatively easy to become the OASIS >representative to that working group. > >It's possible that the people on the xml-dev list who have indicated >their intention to form shell organizations to gain W3C representation >will find a better solution, but until this is demonstrated, I still >believe that the best way for xml-dev subscribers who really want to >participate in W3C working groups is through OASIS. It's cheap, any >qualified consultant can join, you get lots of side benefits, and once >the processes for working with W3C are in place, it looks to me like >this will be the best avenue for people with the resources to meet W3C >participation requirements to get into W3C working groups. > >Contact recruit@o... for further details if you want more >information. > >Jon > > > > >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/ >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/ 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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