Re: In support of the Rule Languages for the Web workshop

Hi Sandro -

These are exciting prospects; that is, Rules and SWS workshops happening 
in April.  Can we assume that your suggestions apply equally to the SWS 
workshop as to the Rules workshop?

Thanks,
David

Sandro Hawke wrote:

> [ Sorry if you get multiple copies.  There have been absurd problems
> with this message getting through. ]
> 
> At the meeting in San Antonio, I agreed to provide a set of "tick
> marks" to help guide people in specific actions toward a rule language
> workshop happening and being a success.  
> 
> For the purposes of this e-mail, let's assume the workshop will be
> held in Europe on April 13-14 and focus on what's necessary to make it
> a success.  (Let's also assume the SWS workshop will be held 11-12 in
> the same location.  If you see a significant conflict with these
> dates, please let me know ASAP.)
> 
> The basic goal of the Rule Languages for the Web workshop is to
> connect users and developers of rule languages suitable for the web.
> We expect users to provide use cases and to continually drive the
> process with their own applications.  The developers, both from
> academia and rule system vendors, can begin to establish connections
> with each other and with the users, as needed for standards work.  If
> the workshop is successful, many of the users and developers will
> emerge thinking that standards work is both practical and worthwhile.
> They will want to participate in a W3C Working Group, or at least
> express within the W3C Advisory Committee that this work is important
> and should go forward.
> 
> I can see a few things the DAML PIs can do to help this process,
> beyond merely participating constructively in the workshop:
> 
>    1.  Anticipate and isolate any technical challenges in this field.
>        If we're not sure the right semantics for slot names (to pick
>        one technical rathole from the PI meeting), that's okay, but we
>        don't want to trip over it at the workshop.  To the extent
>        possible, these items should be known challenges which a
>        working group can steer towards or away from, as needed to
>        address user requirements, rather than surprise landmines.
>   
>    2.  Spread the word.   Talk to people you know who are are
>        interested in the field and get them (or their co-workers) to
>        participate in the workshop.   If there are surprising reasons
>        why they are reluctant, let me know.   Hopefully we'll have a 
>        program committee organized and a CFP out shortly.
> 
>    3.  Build pressure inside organizations to support this work.  This
>        builds on step 2, getting support inside your organization as
>        well as all the organizations of your colleagues.  A widely
>        deployed, accepted standard requires organizational
>        committment, not just committed individuals.
> 
>        For organizations who are W3C members, the Advisory Committee
>        Representative ("AC Rep") is a key point of contact [1].  Make
>        sure each AC Rep knows about all the interest in Rules work
>        there might be in their organization.  In the bigger
>        organizations, it's possible to have a dozen people working
>        with rule languages in a web context the AC Rep has never heard
>        of a rule language.  Try to get the AC Rep to e-mail me and
>        Eric Miller (Semantic Web Activity Lead, em+rl@w3.org), so we
>        know what kinds of interest exist.
> 
>        For organizations who are not W3C members, it's also important
>        to build a network of people who are interested in this work.
>        As a group they can seriously consider joining the W3C or
>        otherwise participating.  There is general information on the
>        web about why one might want to join [2], and if they want to
>        talk to a person about the details (especially with respect to
>        rules), Eric Miller or I would be happy to talk to them.
>        Non-members can still attend the workshop and give feedback on
>        a standard as it is developed, but they can not (in general)
>        directly participate in a working group.
> 
> I'll send along more details as they get worked out, and I'd be happy
> to try to answer any questions.  Good seeing you all in Texas.
> 
>    -- sandro
> 
> 
> [1] If you don't know who your AC Rep is, see
>     http://www.w3.org/Member/ACList.  If you don't have access to
>     that, ask me or someone else with member access.
> [2] http://w3.org/Consortium/Prospectus/

Received on Thursday, 23 December 2004 06:35:58 UTC