Re: Outline for Umbrella Specifications in ViS

Le lundi 20 juin 2005 à 19:10 -0400, Karl Dubost a écrit :
> Outline proposal:

I think the general outline is good, with 2 main remarks:
* don't confine the description to "*Web* technologies"; I don't think
there is anything specific to the Web in what we're describing
* don't redefine what a specification is since we already have a
definition

More comments below:

> Umbrella Specifications
> 
> - Web Technology and Specifications
>      + What is a Web technology?
>          set of technical requirements defined by inclusion and/or by  
> reference and creating a coherent technological area.

Using the term "coherent" is a bit weak, IMHO; it seems to avoid the
question of what constitutes a technology (e.g. is HTML a technology? is
HTML+CSS a technology? is HTML+SVG+MathML a technology?)
Google finds the following definitions for technology:
http://www.google.fr/search?q=define%3Atechnology
I'm not sure any of these really help... Maybe "The application of
knowledge to meet the goals, goods, and services desired by people."?

I don't know if we can avoid to define technology in this context, but
it's probably going to be hard.

>      + What is a specification
>          a document which defines fully a technology or part of a  
> technology.

Our current definition is "Document that prescribes requirements to be
fulfilled by a product, process, or service."; 

>  At W3C, it's a document which must follow rules,  
> requirements defined in the Process document.

or rather, the development of specifications follows rules and
requirements defined in the Process Document.

>      + Web Tech/Specification Interaction (Monolithic/Multiple)
>          a techno can be entirely defined by a one document and  
> usually inclusion of references or divided in a series of documents.
> 
> - Multiple Spec Techno
>      + Why does a WG choose to define a Web technology by having  
> multiple specifications?
>          For Editing reasons, For making parts reusable in different  
> contexts, for following the abstract divisions of the technology.
>      + What are the consequences of this choice? What kind of  
> problems occurs?
>          Introducing variability, problems of usability, of  
> references, conformance requirements difficulties, Process related  
> problems (CR phase?), ...
> 
> - Solution for a Multiple Spec Techno.
>      + What should be an Umbrella Specification?
>      + What should include such a document?
>      + What are the benefits for the WG?
>      + What are the benefits for the implementers?

This looks really promising.

Dom
-- 
Dominique Hazaël-Massieux - http://www.w3.org/People/Dom/
W3C/ERCIM
mailto:dom@w3.org