Re: complexity (was: Re: XHTML and RDF)

On Wed, 14 Apr 2004, Orion Adrian wrote:
>
>> [company X is author of specification
>>  company Y is on the working group but not implementing that spec
>>  company Z disagres with X]
>>
> I believe that's a characterization of it. However we've yet to prove
> that rubber-stamping X's ideas are a bad idea for the rest of the
> community.

Z is part of that community, and it would send them out of business. It
seems, therefore, that rubber-stamping X's ideas is bad for the community.


> My question is why on earth is company Y even there.

Why is IBM on the CSS working group? Why is Opera on the MMI group?

The usual answer is "to keep an eye on things". (Actually IBM uses CSS and
Opera does MM devices, so those two examples may be bad. But there are
others. I can guarentee you that not all 45 companies on the MMI group
are actually active, for instance.)


> It doesn't care because it won't implement or use it? Does this sound
> like a good idea to anybody?

It might implement or use something else. For example HP is unlikely to
care or use the Speech CSS module, but cares very much (and is actively
working on) the Print CSS module. Both of these are in the same group,
discussed at the same meetings.


> Also company Z can go *bleep* for all I care. It is not the job of the
> W3C to keep businesses in business.

No, but it is the job of the W3C to serve the interests of its $50,000 per
year paying members. If company Z is not going to be served by being a
member of the W3C, why would they keep paying the fee?


> 1) The author of a specification should be chosen for his or her ability
> to write a spec that solves all the problems presented _and_ the ability
> to listen to other people when they present new problems.

The author of a specification is usually chosen because they were the only
person who volunteered.


> 2) Other persons on a working group should leave their businesses at the
> door.

There is no way a company is going to pay for their members to attend
meetings, at huge cost to the company, if those members aren't going to
serve the best interests of the company.


> Also identity transform without modification is
> <xsl:copy-of select="$node" />

Where's the root element? Namespace declaration? Etc?

-- 
Ian Hickson                                      )\._.,--....,'``.    fL
U+1047E                                         /,   _.. \   _\  ;`._ ,.
http://index.hixie.ch/                         `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'

Received on Wednesday, 14 April 2004 12:41:40 UTC