Re: Editor skills and funding (was: Looking for more editors and Editors)

On Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:23:55 +0200, Laura Carlson  
<laura.lee.carlson@gmail.com> wrote:

> With a specification as important as HTML5, it would be very
> beneficial if the  W3C could provide funding for a neutral third party
> editor. Dan, Chris, Mike, and Tim, could the W3C do that?

It is unlikely. W3C has extremely limited funding (which comes from the  
member companies who pay for it) and the staff are generally stretched and  
work extremely hard. (More so when they are all dragged into a discussion  
that a couple are trying to manage - they all have their own jobs to do  
already. Ergo the serious pruning of the cc list)

Actually, as important qualifications I would make a far simpler list:

+ A rough understanding that specifications are better when they match  
reality, and that attempts to influence reality should be achievable and  
point in useful directions
+ Ability to spend a lot of time doing boring stuff, and concentrate on it
+ Some understanding of relevant technology, and the ability and desire to  
learn a lot more.
+ Ability to remain polite, listen to everyone and understand what they  
are trying to say, without annoying them or being rude to them. Even when  
they are arrogant ignorant and overbearing fools.
+ A sense for consensus and understanding of how groups determine and  
arrive at their collective goals

Or even more simply time, patience, teamwork, dedication, and brains. But  
that kind of over-simplifies it.

I am not convinced that there is much to gain by arguing the requirements  
for an editor. Dan is fond of saying "the one who does the work makes the  
rules". So if someone wants to edit, step up and start. We'll all find out  
if it works out later.

(And if someone wants to take on the Window Object specification, in  
particular, I would be very grateful. It is a work item of teh Web  
Applications working group, not this one, and it would be nice to have  
some effort put into it given how vital it is to a number of things beyond  
HTML as well as to HTML5).

cheers

Chaals

-- 
Charles McCathieNevile  Opera Software, Standards Group
     je parle français -- hablo español -- jeg lærer norsk
http://my.opera.com/chaals   Try Opera 9.5: http://www.opera.com

Received on Monday, 1 September 2008 12:45:30 UTC