Re: SGML WG status

[Terry Allen:]

| | In addition to xml-style (aka dsssl-o), things that we *know* that we
| | will be talking about after July 1 include:
| | 
| |   - strong data typing
| |   - data declaration facilities beyond the DTD
| |   - linkage to behaviors
| |   - multiple name spaces
| 
| I do want to ask why these have been added to the list.  What is
| the rationale in terms of the SGML ERB's mission statement, why
| must victory be declared on these fronts before the group's work
| is done, and is this an open-ended effort?

Up until a couple of weeks ago, this entire effort was more or less
completely ignored by the W3C member organizations.  Now that people
are suddenly waking up to what we've created, there is much more
attention from the W3C membership and a concomitant requirement to
start behaving more like a W3C working group.  This means coordinating
with other W3C working groups and responding to requests to deal with
things that help them do their work, like the items listed above.

The decisions about which group does what in our part of the W3C are
governed by an HTML Coordination Committee that is made up of
representatives from the HTML, Math, DOM, CSS, and XML working groups,
"working group" here meaning what used to be called an ERB; we're the
last one to keep working under the old name and our own process rules.
As soon as we get around to it (the ERB is a bit slowed down right now
with this week's ISO WG8 meeting and next week's SGML Europe
conference), the group that is now called the SGML Working Group (this
mailing list) will become the XML Interest Group, or Special Interest
Group if a request of mine is approved, and what is now called the
SGML Editorial Review Board will become the XML Working Group.

[...]
| What is the long-term agenda, and is that agenda on our agenda or is
| it up to the W3C members?

It's up to the W3C member organizations.  It always was, but they
weren't paying attention.

Jon

Received on Thursday, 8 May 1997 18:10:32 UTC