UFDTF from tech plenary session

Stuart thought that the View from the Outside tech plenary session might 
be relevant to our TF.

I found the slides:
http://www.w3.org/2007/11/TPAC/view-from-outside.pdf

and this blog entry

http://drinkingoatmealstout.com/2007/11/07/w3c-tpac-notes-from-view-from-the-outside-real-world-perspectives-on-the-w3c/

I think the point 1 part of the blog entry is most pertinent:

Point 1 - What is the role of a specification or standard?

     * AG: Gotta know who you’re audience is. Who are you’re writing 
for? People written for the implementers in the browsers. Certain 
ambiguities in the spec lead to different implementation. If you’re a 
developer, you can’t use the spec to learn and understand css. People 
read the spec and fall asleep.
     * ST: If you come from a country where English is not your native 
language, learning web standards is so very difficult.
     * MO: Web standards don’t affect me because the people I work with 
don’t use them. They’re a couple of steps beyond using font tags
     * MH: We were starting to talk about ontologies. MO didn’t 
understand the words.
     * MO: W3C uses nomenclature I don’t understand. I use this from a 
business stand point and how to implement this for a client. I have to 
work with this stuff everyday. Standards do affect me.
     * AG: The language does really have a cost. By not understanding 
the spec, the developers have to spend more time understanding what they 
have to do.
     * PH: I find myself getting lost in the spec. I have to understand 
things more that I care to.
     * ST: I am able to read specs and implement them. i have a bunch of 
junior developers I have to help train. Just for them to reach them 
level we want them to achieve. Who pays for them to learn the company or 
the client?
     * MO: Business folks are only willing to pay for what they understand.

Jeremy

Received on Thursday, 15 November 2007 14:26:09 UTC