Re: We need to start building a community (Re: Primer updated with a Changes section)

Hi Ben/Manu/all,

> Agreed, although to be fair I really hate Wordpress now with their awful
>  approach to security and the painful upgrade process. But I have nothing
>  better to suggest.

:)

The original discussion wasn't so much about choosing between CC and
W3C, but between me setting up some forums and mailing-lists on one of
my servers using Drupal, or CC setting them up using Wordpress.

Without wishing to rub it in, I still think Drupal is better, and now
that I'm using Amazon EC2 for everything, I can fire up new Drupal
instances at the drop of a hat, making it very easy to set up and
manage.

...but that's not really what I'm posting about! I just mention that
in passing (and possibly fanning the flames as I pass...)

The main thing I wanted to comment on, was this:


>  > rdfa.w3.org/ (main website - simple - eye catching)
>
>
> That's not going to happen without a massive approval process :)
>
>  Let's go with rdfa.info/wiki
>
>  I'll get CC to start the MediaWiki installation.
>
>  Ralph: can you start the process for a new mailing list?

I really agree with Ben's approach, and as a more general comment, I
would like to add that I don't see any reason why the W3C needs to be
the home for 'the community', just because it's the home of 'the
standard'.

I think it could often be the case that a bunch of people agree to
work on a standard together, doing the work at the W3C since it's a
convenient place to interact; if nothing else there are some damned
clever people around, but also there are clear processes, the W3C
brand is a good one to have attached to your standard when it's
finished, and so on.

But a community is different to a standard; it's built mainly on
energy, enthusiasm, and involvement, not on formal processes, and by
its nature it's a more nimble thing. I think the W3C is too slow and
cumbersome for 'community building'.

That's not a criticism; it's that way by necessity, as I think Ben is
hinting at above, since it's whole job is to ensure consensus, be
thorough, etc.

Of course, CC might be too slow and cumbersome too!

But at the moment I'm getting the feeling that CC is pretty committed
to RDFa, and I would imagine that Ben has some influence over the
infrastructure allocated to RDFa, in a more direct way than we'd have
at the W3C (again, because of its nature). So my vote would be for
putting as little as possible onto the W3C infrastructure, and instead
looking for other homes for 'our community', based on appropriateness.

Regards,

Mark

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Received on Monday, 10 March 2008 21:14:28 UTC