Re: a second message on transitions, from your Chair

I'm not entirely sure what this means, but "using TTML as a source format
for WebVTT" sounds scary...

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Singer <singer@apple.com>
Date: Wed, May 15, 2013 at 12:03 PM
Subject: a second message on transitions, from your Chair
To: "public-texttracks@w3.org" <public-texttracks@w3.org>


Further to this message below, there is a proposal to take the 'first
version' of VTT through the formal WG process, so we can publish a full
recommendation.  In discussion with the Timed Text working group (under
Sean Hayes, that works on TTML) we think we could do that in a 'bi-cameral'
working group, with sub-groups focused on the two technologies, but with
common discussion of matters of common interest.  That would also enable
the cross-format deliverables (e.g. using TTML as a source format for VTT).

I encourage you to look at the draft charter that Philippe has made:
     http://www.w3.org/2013/05/timed-text-charter.html
and send feedback (I haven't sent mine yet).

The vision is that in the working group, only well-formed ideas that get
general consensus would be incorporated, along with any integration issues
(e.g. keeping the fit in html media).  I think 'not breaking the past'
would be very important.  It's more important to make sure the
documentation is clear, the test suite good, interop achieved, and so on.

The community group would continue, working with fewer constraints, doing
explorations, concerns that have no good resolutions proposed, experiments,
and so on, until they mature.

(I actually have some hope that the amount of material in either category
is small.)

Comments on this direction, and the proposed charter, are welcome.


On Mar 19, 2013, at 14:32 , David Singer <singer@apple.com> wrote:

> Hi group,
>
>
> Two transitions:
>
> 1.  Ian has expressed a desire to step-down as editor, and Silvia has
indicated a willingness to take over the role.  I hope everyone is with me
in --
>
>  1a.  Thanking Ian profusely for having started the VTT effort and shaped
and edited it thus far. It's really important.
>
>  1b.  Thanking Silvia for volunteering to step up.
>
> If you have any concerns, alternative candidates, or the like, about this
transition, please communicate with me and I'll weigh them and try to
address them.  I think Silvia will do a fine job, and her link to the HTML5
effort will help also.
>
>
> 2.  We're getting close to a specification which looks pretty stable, and
is 'feature complete' and implemented enough that we think we might have
teased out the more obvious gotchas.  Various people in the industry would
like a 'stable reference' in addition to the cutting-edge draft.  The
community group process has a tool for this, called the 'Final Spec.
Agreement (FSA)' (see <http://www.w3.org/community/about/agreements/>,
which is actually the process document).  Signing this gives us both a
stable reference at a stable URL, and also IPR commitments from those who
sign.
>
> I think it would be good to do an FSA fairly soon.  If members of the
group could look at the process and the FSA with a view to understanding
it, and being prepared to sign, that would be great.
>
> Thanks, and onwards to ever better accessibility!
>
> David Singer
> Multimedia and Software Standards, Apple Inc.
>

David Singer
Multimedia and Software Standards, Apple Inc.