RE: Agenda item: EPUB 3 affirmation for the publishing community

I see the positive impact of a recommendation of PBG about continuing to promote EPUB 3 as not on the public but on having a clear and concise recommendation that all the different groups involved at Publishing@W3C can understand: that we continue to actively promote adoption of EPUB 3 even as we are (within the WG) also working on longer-term stuff. 

 

This may seemingly “go without saying” but for example it was recently suggested by a program committee member for the upcoming Publishing Summit that perhaps the event should be forbidden to have any EPUB 3 related sessions. That would be clearly inconsistent with an overall policy to promote continued adoption of EPUB 3 and I would hope that by adopting a recommendation statement such as George suggests we would not have to debate this point further this year or next year (when we have PWP/EPUB4 that is adoptable we can re-open the question of whether to continue to actively promote new adoption of EPUB 3, but that is likely to be 2019+).

 

And because EPUB 3 is now under W3C custodianship yet at the same time is not a W3C Recommendation per the standard W3C Process, being explicit about this would seem to avoid doubt. Some W3C folks who are not familiar with the publishing industry or the nature and expectations around the combination of IDPF into W3C, might see work starting on new WG and assume that all focus should be there.

 

--Bill

 

From: Paul Belfanti [mailto:Paul.Belfanti@ascendlearning.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2017 6:50 AM
To: Ivan Herman <ivan@w3.org>; Luc Audrain <LAUDRAIN@hachette-livre.fr>
Cc: George Kerscher <kerscher@montana.com>; Rick Johnson <rick.johnson@ingramdigital.com>; Paul Belfanti <Paul.Belfanti@ascendlearning.com>; Cristina Mussinelli <c.mussinelli@360publishing.it>; W3C Publishing Steering Committee <public-publishing-sc@w3.org>
Subject: Re: Agenda item: EPUB 3 affirmation for the publishing community

 

I wholly agree, Ivan. A statement from just the PBG without clearly perceived endorsement from the W3C will do little to allay concerns that EPUB will be on life support at best until the next generation format is delivered.

 

On the other hand, the message will need to be crafted in a way so that stakeholders like Leonard R don’t raise alarm that the PBG will be focused on EPUB at the expense of PWP or whatever we call the next generation spec.

 

Fun in the land of standards!

 

Paul 

—

Paul Belfanti

Vice President, Production, Manufacturing & Content Architecture

Ascend Learning

(w) 978.639.3536

(m) 201.783.4884

 

 

From: Ivan Herman <ivan@w3.org <mailto:ivan@w3.org> >
Date: Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at 3:34 AM
To: Luc Audrain <LAUDRAIN@hachette-livre.fr <mailto:LAUDRAIN@hachette-livre.fr> >
Cc: George Kerscher <kerscher@montana.com <mailto:kerscher@montana.com> >, Rick Johnson <rick.johnson@ingramdigital.com <mailto:rick.johnson@ingramdigital.com> >, Paul Belfanti <pbelfanti@jblearning.com <mailto:pbelfanti@jblearning.com> >, Cristina Mussinelli <c.mussinelli@360publishing.it <mailto:c.mussinelli@360publishing.it> >, W3C Publishing Steering Committee <public-publishing-sc@w3.org <mailto:public-publishing-sc@w3.org> >
Subject: Re: Agenda item: EPUB 3 affirmation for the publishing community

 

All,

 

a complete aside and minor on this, but if we want to make such public statements, I believe the W3C central blog is at our disposal (too). This may give an extra visibility to EPUB, also under a W3C banner. BillM is the ultimate decider on this, but I think that could be a good vehicle.

 

Ivan 

 

 

On 24 May 2017, at 07:58, AUDRAIN LUC <LAUDRAIN@hachette-livre.fr <mailto:LAUDRAIN@hachette-livre.fr> > wrote:

 

Dear,

 

I support George proposal of an EPUB3 statement.

 

With IDPF/W3C combination, I hear among publishers nowadays the end of EPUB, meaning no more investment in it until the new standard for ebooks emerges…

 

This statement could emphasize (once more…) the role of Open Web Platform in EPUB3 and then the perspective than any future format would include a whole set of existing EPUB3 features. Perhaps mentioning the BFF concept of round-tripping to implement the idea that there will be easy conversion track from todays EPUB3 to any future Web Publication format.

 

Best,

Luc

 

De : George Kerscher < <mailto:kerscher@montana.com> kerscher@montana.com>
Date : mercredi 24 mai 2017 à 03:49
À : Rick Johnson < <mailto:rick.johnson@ingramdigital.com> rick.johnson@ingramdigital.com>, Paul Belfanti < <mailto:pbelfanti@jblearning.com> pbelfanti@jblearning.com>, Cristina Mussinelli < <mailto:c.mussinelli@360publishing.it> c.mussinelli@360publishing.it>
Cc : "PBG Steering Committee (Public)" < <mailto:public-publishing-sc@w3.org> public-publishing-sc@w3.org>
Objet : Agenda item: EPUB 3 affirmation for the publishing community
Renvoyer - De : < <mailto:public-publishing-sc@w3.org> public-publishing-sc@w3.org>
Renvoyer - Date : mercredi 24 mai 2017 à 03:50

 

              Dear Cristina, Rick, and Paul,

 

I want to suggest a SC agenda item for our next call on May 30. Perhaps this  is best titled “EPUB 3 affirmation for the publishing community.”

 

I have said in presentations that EPUB 3 is a rock solid standard that the publishing community can use with confidence. While EPUB 3.1 is not a formal recommendation by the W3C, it is a standard under the W3C. I would love to see the PBG make a public statement encouraging the use of EPUB 3.x by the publishing community. Of course, we will be hard at work on formal rec track publishing standards, but we have a terrific standard to use now and in to the near future. I believe an affirmation like this would help to move the publishing industry both within the W3C and externally forward. We want to see those that are currently using EPUB to continue and those that are considering adoption to embrace EPUB 3 with confidence.

 

Best

George

 

George Kerscher Ph.D.

-In our Information Age, access to information is a fundamental human right.

Chief Innovations Officer, DAISY Consortium

 <http://www.daisy.org/> http://www.daisy.org

Senior Advisor, Global Literacy, Benetech

 <http://www.benetech.org/> http://www.benetech.org

President, International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF)

 <http://www.idpf.org/> http://www.idpf.org

Member of the National Museum and Library Services  Board (IMLS)

 <http://www.imls.gov/> http://www.imls.gov

Chair Steering Council Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), a division of the W3C

 <http://www.w3c.org/wai> http://www.w3c.org/wai

Phone: +1 406/549-4687

Cell:+1 406/544-2466

Email:  <mailto:kerscher@montana.com> kerscher@montana.com

 


----
Ivan Herman, W3C 
Publishing@W3C Technical Lead

Home: http://www.w3.org/People/Ivan/
mobile: +31-641044153

ORCID ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0782-2704



 



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