TAG Analysis of Compound Document Use Cases and Requirements

Dear  Compound Document Formats Working Group, 

The TAG recently conducted a review of your working draft "Compound 
Document by Reference Use Cases and Requirements Version 1.0" [1], and I 
believe that many of you are aware of a note [2] that I prepared as input 
to the TAG's discussions.  I am writing now to inform you that the TAG 
has, at least for now, decided not to provide any formal input on your 
working draft.  Accordingly, the comments in the note at [2] should be 
viewed as my personal analysis of your work, and not as signaling 
positions that the TAG is adopting formally.

Let me comment briefly on one area that I highlighted, which was the 
suggestion that you devote effort to clarifying the semantics of compound 
XML documents in general, as opposed to covering only WICD and similar 
UI-focussed formats.  Although the TAG took no formal position, there was 
a feeling on the part of many TAG members that sooner or later such 
semantics should be clarified by some working group in the W3C.  There 
were a range of opinions expressed by TAG members as to who in W3C should 
do such work, and when it should be done.  In particular, at least some 
TAG members felt that contrary to the suggestions in my note, work in the 
CDF WG on the more generalized problem might be a distraction from your 
more focussed efforts on WICD.   As I say, the TAG has taken no formal 
position and is offering no specific guidance to you at this time.

I should also point out that Mark Baker's note [3] arrived after the TAG's 
discussions of CDF.  I take Mark's note as indicating that he personally 
believes that progress is in fact being made on the more general problem, 
and that solving the general problem will prove necessary if the CDF WG is 
to achieve its goals for WICD.  I don't believe that the TAG's (lack of) 
position, as outlined above, was influenced by or informed by this input 
from Mark.  In any case, it should certainly not be taken as a specific 
reaction to Mark's note.

I know I speak for the TAG in expressing our gratitude for all your hard 
work on the compound document recommendations, and that we look forward to 
seeing your work as it matures.  Thank you very much.

Noah

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/2005/WD-CDRReqs-20050809/
[2] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-tag/2005Oct/0040.html
[3] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-tag/2005Nov/0004.html

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Noah Mendelsohn 
IBM Corporation
One Rogers Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
1-617-693-4036
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Received on Friday, 4 November 2005 22:37:10 UTC