Re: Governance and Web Architecture ...

Hi Larry,

On 07/19/2012 04:03 PM, Larry Masinter wrote:
> I've shared this privately with a few other tag members (Jonathan,
> Ashok, Noah), and now am submitting to the TAG for consideration:
> 
> http://www.w3.org/2001/tag/doc/governanceFramework-2012-07-19.html

You might want to refer Clark et. al's "Tussle in Cyberspace," paper,
<http://groups.csail.mit.edu/ana/Publications/PubPDFs/Tussle%20in%20Cyberspace%20Defining%20Tomorrows%20Internet%202005%27s%20Internet.pdf>
which takes a protocol-design perspective (their "tussles" seem to
parallel your "governance" issues).

from the paper:
" ...We offer some design principles to deal with tussle.
 Based on our preference that we accommodate tussle rather than
 preclude it, our highest-level principle is:

  * Design for tussle—for variation in outcome—so that the outcome can
  be different in different places, and the tussle takes place within
  the design, not by distorting or violating it. Do not design so as to
  dictate the outcome. Rigid designs will be broken; designs that
  permit variation will flex under pressure and survive.

 Second, we identify a principle that strengthens the ability of an
 architecture to accommodate tussle, and assists in the task of design
 for change:

  * Modularize the design along tussle boundaries, so that one tussle
  does not spill over and distort unrelated issues."

> (currently member-only, but should become world-readable as soon as I
> can get someone to update the permissions.)

I wonder about publishing it at a stage where it mostly describes
problem areas, and barely outlines the solution framework. That invites
people to quibble with the problem descriptions (as I could, in
copyright, for example) rather than engaging with the architectural
framework.

> The idea was to create a general framework for analysis of the
> interactions of governance and architecture ... governance being the
> term we use to describe legislation, regulation, contractual
> precedent and other ways of adding constraints based on societal
> requirements, and architecture being the ways in which web systems
> are constructed.

What is that framework, and what suggestions are you offering
policy-makers or technologists? I could imagine starting from principles
such as those in Tussle: modularity, design for choice (and
competition), open interfaces.

--Wendy

> 
> In today's (informal) TAG call, we talked about using this framework
> and developing it as a kind of introduction to "Publishing and
> Linking"
> 
> http://www.w3.org/2001/tag/doc/publishingAndLinkingOnTheWeb-2012-07-16.html
> 
> 
> but which would serve as a basis for other related documents about
> other governance areas and architectural implications.
> 
> 
> 
> 


-- 
Wendy Seltzer -- wseltzer@w3.org +1.617.863.0613
http://wendy.seltzer.org/

Received on Monday, 23 July 2012 13:38:56 UTC