RE: Naming the standard

+1
Jean-Pierre Evain, EBU
________________________________
From: Renato Iannella [renato.iannella@monegraph.com]
Sent: 15 September 2016 02:45
To: W3C POE WG
Subject: Re: Naming the standard


I have grave concerns about the suggestion to change the name of ODRL in order to address misperceptions.

If there are indeed perceptions, then the solution is not a name change but information sharing, education and dialogue.

I want to use the example of W3C's Encrypted Media Extensions as an example to make my point.
In response to significant and negative media saturation by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (including street protests), W3C did not change the name of the EME specification.  Instead they disseminated considered arguments for the reason(s) behind the work. This demonstrates leadership.

We are not exactly in the same situation, but we should not be mislead into thinking that merely changing the name of a specification will magically cause perceptions to change.

This is why the ODRL Community (from V2.0) moved towards "policy" as our main language driver, as this has been a deliberate move by the ODRL community embrace holistic initiatives and support general policies.

The ODRL community has been working diligently for the past 16 YEARS building up community of trust around a common need for policy expressions.

There is no technical and architectural reason for a name change.  I am concerned that a push to impose a name change would be poorly received, perhaps even considered by some to be disparaging an dismissive of the community’s careful and considered work over the years.

The ODRL brand is important as it is well established amongst many communities. An ill-considered change of name will cause disruption, confusion and lead to less trust and acceptance.

Existing users and implementors of ODRL, the ODRL Community Group, and ODRL Profile communities will be left  frustrated, and disenfranchised.

I strongly support keeping the name of ODRL while continuing to focus efforts on making it a better language so that it  becomes part of the web framework for future digital publishing.

I oppose the proposal to change the name of ODRL.


Renato Iannella, Monegraph
Co-Chair, W3C Permissions & Obligations Expression (POE) Working Group

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Received on Thursday, 15 September 2016 05:55:27 UTC