Announcing "SpecLite"

Hello QA Interest Group --

Here is the next component of the totally redesigned QA Framework (QAF):  a 
lightweight, less authoritarian, more useful and usable revision 
of  "Specification Guidelines" [1].

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/2004/WD-qaframe-spec-20040602/

("SpecLite" is our temporary QAWG nickname for this revision, signifying 
its departure from the previously published Candidate Recommendation (CR) 
"Specification Guidelines [7]).

There are lots of details yet to be worked out, but we want early 
feedback.  Some sections are incomplete.  For example, we are still 
searching for the best conformance model -- normative versus informative 
guidance.  We want a balance between usefulness and user-friendliness, on 
the one hand, and usability by those who want to rigorously score their 
spec against some QA rules, on the other.  SpecLite will also have lots 
more examples, and the placeholder Conformance Clause Template will be 
finished and integrated.

Please tell us what you think of the overall direction and such content as 
we have firmed up so far.  Apologies for short notice, but we'd be happy to 
have some feedback by about 12th June, so that we can discuss it at our 
next face-to-face meeting (15-17 June).  We will of course welcome feedback 
after the f2f as well.

As before, the principal target audience is W3C specification 
editors.  SpecLite replaces and supersedes the previously published CR 
version of "Specification Guidelines" [7].  It is a companion to the 
just-published "QA Handbook" [2].  (Stay tuned for the first publication of 
a lightweight version of Test Guidelines).

If you're interested, here is a little more background and explanation of 
"QAF Lite".  The QA Working Group resolved to redesign the QA Framework for 
simplicity, clarity, usefulness, and usability.  There will be fewer 
documents, they will be smaller and simpler, less authoritarian, and well 
synchronized with each other (before Last Call).  For more detail, 
see:  TP2004 f2f minutes [3], TP2004 presentation [4], previous QAIG 
announcement [5], and W3C Chairs announcement (member-only) [6].

Regards,
Lofton Henderson
(for QAWG)

[2] http://www.w3.org/TR/2004/WD-qa-handbook-20040510/
[3] http://www.w3.org/QA/2004/03/f2f-minutes#minutes-1pm
[4] http://www.w3.org/2004/Talks/tp2004-test-pc/
[5] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-qa/2004Mar/0027.html
[6] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Member/chairs/2004JanMar/0100.html
[7] http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/CR-qaframe-spec-20031110/

Received on Thursday, 3 June 2004 11:37:59 UTC