Re: PROPOSAL to close ISSUE-55 as postponed

Jim Hendler <hendler@cs.rpi.edu> writes:
>
> On Jan 8, 2008, at 2:23 AM, Peter F. Patel-Schneider wrote:
> > What is the difference between POSTPONING an issue versus simply  
> > CLOSING
> > the issue in this WG?  (The reasoning I am asking is that I am unclear
> > as to whether there is any technical or resource reason why this issue
> > should be postponed instead of closed.)
>
> FWIW, my understanding is that from the point of view of this WG  
> there's very little difference - the issue is "dealt with" and not  
> discussed further (unless something new comes along or etc., but  
> that's true of a closed issue as well) - the main difference is the  
> signal it sends externally - by Postponing we suggest to the  
> community that this is an issue to work on and to revisit in the  
> future, and as such I endorse doing it in this case
>   -JH

That sounds right, yeah.  They are the same in that they mean we don't
expect to do any more work on the issue.  They are different as to why,
and as to how we understand the issue.  That difference will probably
matter to some audiences and not to others.  Its unlikely to matter in a
legalistic sense.

CLOSED (RESOLVED) means we believe we have made whatever decisions are
necessary to address this issue.  We are claiming to have solved the
problem.

CLOSED (POSTPONED) means we do not expect to make any decisions about
the substance of this issue.  We are claiming we don't have to solve
this problem (and that we don't expect to) to meet our chartered
goals.

If it's not clear or there is disagreement about which it is, then I
would just note that in the closing text and err on the side of
"POSTPONED", which in a sense a weaker statement.


     -- Sandro

Received on Tuesday, 8 January 2008 14:29:57 UTC