RE: W3C Input to the United Nations "Enhanced Cooperation" Study

Jose, through your message I learned of the Web Foundation.  While I don't
see a strategic plan on the Foundation's Web site, I inferred one from the
limited amount of information provided on the site.  It is the 200th
nonprofit, public service organization plan in the StratML collection, at
http://xml.gov/stratml/index.htm#Nonprofits or, more specifically,
http://xml.gov/stratml/WF.xml  

I have a few comments on this point in the W3C's input to the UN's study:
"Each professional community (techies, gov, civil society, industry) should
do what they are best at, and cooperate with other communities that have
different expertise."

First, it is not enough simply to make statements like this, which
constitute wishes and dreams at best and shifting responsibility to others
at worst.  What's needed are explicit (strategic) plans setting forth
exactly what *each of us* plans to do *ourselves* to contribute toward
pursuit of the vision.

Second, like "communication" and "collaboration," "cooperation" is a widely
used euphemism. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/euphemism  While "labeling"
(giving a name) to a problem may be a necessary first step toward
transforming it into an opportunity, all-too-often that is taken as a
*substitute* for defining the issue in sufficient detail to enable a
solution(s).  (My favorite definition of the term "complaint" is "an
expression of a problem insufficient to effect action."
http://ambur.net/index.html#quotes)

Third, it seems that one of the things the W3C should be able to do best is
to assist in the specification of XML schemas (XSDs) that others can use to
"cooperate" more efficiently and effectively.  Toward that end, it seems
like an XSD for the description and discovery of standards on the Web is one
contribution the W3C ought to be able to make toward realization of the term
"cooperation".

As you know, I also hope the W3C can help foster the specification and use
of AIIM's emerging StratML standard.  If we haven't even documented exactly
what it is that we ourselves are trying to accomplish, it is hard to see how
we can do it very well, and if we haven't documented it in readily shareable
(XML) format on the Web, it is hard to understand how we could expect others
to cooperate with us.

Owen Ambur
Co-Chair Emeritus, xmlCoP  
Co-Chair, AIIM StratML Committee
Member, AIIM iECM Committee 
Invited Expert, W3C eGov IG
Membership Director, FIRM Board  
Former Project Manager, ET.gov 
    

-----Original Message-----
From: public-egov-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:public-egov-ig-request@w3.org]
On Behalf Of Jose M. Alonso
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 7:56 AM
To: eGov IG
Subject: W3C Input to the United Nations "Enhanced Cooperation" Study


All,

I think this document can be of interest to you:

   http://www.w3.org/2009/02/dd-unigf

It was edited by my colleague Daniel Dardailler as input to a United  
Nations study and is oriented toward the topic of more participation  
from governments in W3C groups and other internet Open Standard bodies.

I hope it could serve at least as food for thought for agencies that  
are still wondering if they should participate more actively.

Cheers,
Jose.

--
Jose M. Alonso <josema@w3.org>    W3C/CTIC
eGovernment Lead                  http://www.w3.org/2007/eGov/

Received on Tuesday, 3 February 2009 17:11:55 UTC