Re: Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML) 1.1 is a W3C Recommendation

Thank you for your comments.  My replies are embedded below.

Dan Burnett
SSML 1.1 Co-Editor


On Sep 7, 2010, at 1:21 PM, Innovimax W3C wrote:

> Congratulations for the very good job

Thank you!

>
> Let me just remind you of two things
>
> 1) To not forget the work item of providing Relax NG and/or NVDL for  
> SSML markup

Thank you.  As you suggested in your Review of this document, we will  
consider adding this for a future version of the specification.

> 2) http://www.w3.org/TR/speech-synthesis/ still points to 1.0 which  
> is sad since we have no clue that 1.1 is now a REC and superceedes 1.0
>
This is a new comment from you (and for the group), and it is an  
interesting one.  You are right that the shortnames are different for  
the two specifications.  This is actually important since VoiceXML  
imports SSML by reference, something that could be problematic if we  
had used the same shortname for both.  Note that this way there is no  
confusion about what VoiceXML 2.0/2.1 require.
I suspect that we will need serious consideration of this issue if/ 
when we produce an SSML 2.0.

> Best regards,
>
> Mohamed ZERGAOUI
>
> On Tue, Sep 7, 2010 at 7:02 PM, Ian Jacobs <ij@w3.org> wrote:
> Dear Advisory Committee Representative,
>
> It is my pleasure to announce that "Speech Synthesis Markup Language  
> (SSML) Version 1.1" is a W3C Recommendation:
>   http://www.w3.org/TR/2010/REC-speech-synthesis11-20100907/
>
> The vast majority of the Members who responded to the Call for  
> Review of the Proposed Recommendation [1] supported the  
> specification as is and agreed to its publication as a W3C  
> Recommendation without changes. One reviewer suggested several  
> editorial changes and clarifications, and is satisfied with the  
> group's resolution.
>
> After reviewing the comment and response, the Director approved the  
> publication of the document as a W3C Recommendation.
>
> Please join us in congratulating the Voice Browser Working Group [2]  
> on this achievement.
>
> This announcement follows section 8.1.2 [3] of the W3C Process  
> Document.
>
> For Tim Berners-Lee, Director,
> Philipp Hoschka, Ubiquitous Web Domain Leader, and
> Kazuyuki Ashimura, Voice Browser Activity Lead;
> Ian Jacobs, Head of W3C Communications
>
> [1] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Member/w3c-ac-members/2010JanMar/0035
> [2] http://www.w3.org/Voice/
> [3] http://www.w3.org/2005/10/Process-20051014/acreview#ACReviewAfter
>
> ===================================================================
> Quoting from
> Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML) Version 1.1
> W3C Recommendation 7 September 2010
> ===================================================================
>
> This version:
>   http://www.w3.org/TR/2010/REC-speech-synthesis11-20100907/
> Latest version:
>   http://www.w3.org/TR/speech-synthesis11/
> Previous version:
>   http://www.w3.org/TR/2010/PR-speech-synthesis11-20100223/
>
> Editors:
>   Daniel C. Burnett, Voxeo (formerly of Vocalocity and Nuance)
>   ˫־ΰ (Zhi Wei Shuang), IBM
>
> Authors:
>   Paolo Baggia, Loquendo
>   Paul Bagshaw, France Telecom
>   Michael Bodell, Microsoft
>   »ÆµÂÖÇ (De Zhi Huang), France Telecom
>   Â¥ÏþÑã (Lou Xiaoyan), Toshiba
>   Scott McGlashan, HP
>   ÌÕ½¨»ª (Jianhua Tao), Chinese Academy of Sciences
>   ÑϾþ (Yan Jun), iFLYTEK
>   ºú·½ (Hu Fang) (until 20 October 2009 while an Invited Expert)
>   ¿µÓÀ¹ú (Yongguo Kang) (until 5 December 2007 while at Panasonic  
> Corporation)
>   ÃÉÃÀÁá (Helen Meng) (until 29 July 2009 while at Chinese University  
> of Hong Kong)
>   Íõϼ (Wang Xia) (until 30 October 2006 while at Nokia)
>   Ïĺ£ÈÙ (Xia Hairong) (until 2 August 2006 while at Panasonic  
> Corporation)
>   ÎâÖ¾ÓÂ (Zhiyong Wu) (until 29 July 2009 while at Chinese University  
> of Hong Kong)
>
> Abstract
> --------
>
> The Voice Browser Working Group has sought to develop standards to
> enable access to the Web using spoken interaction. The Speech
> Synthesis Markup Language Specification is one of these standards and
> is designed to provide a rich, XML-based markup language for assisting
> the generation of synthetic speech in Web and other applications. The
> essential role of the markup language is to provide authors of
> synthesizable content a standard way to control aspects of speech such
> as pronunciation, volume, pitch, rate, etc. across different
> synthesis-capable platforms.
>
> Status of This Document [excerpts]
> -----------------------------------
>
> This is the Recommendation of "Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML)
> Version 1.1". It has been produced by the Voice Browser Working Group,
> which is part of the Voice Browser Activity.
>
> Comments are welcome on www-voice@w3.org (archive). See W3C mailing
> list and archive usage guidelines.
>
> The design of SSML 1.1 has been widely reviewed (see the disposition
> of comments) and satisfies the Working Group's technical
> requirements. A list of implementations is included in the SSML 1.1
> Implementation Report, along with the associated test suite. The
> Working Group made a few editorial changes to the 23 February 2010
> Proposed Recommendation in response to comments. Changes from the
> Proposed Recommendation can be found in Appendix G. Also changes from
> SSML 1.0 including a note on backwards compatibility to SSML 1.0 can
> be found in Appendix F.
>
> This document enhances SSML 1.0 [SSML] to provide better support for a
> broader set of natural (human) languages. To determine in what ways,
> if any, SSML is limited by its design with respect to supporting
> languages that are in large commercial or emerging markets for speech
> synthesis technologies but for which there was limited or no
> participation by either native speakers or experts during the
> development of SSML 1.0, the W3C held three workshops on the
> Internationalization of SSML. The first workshop [WS], in Beijing,
> PRC, in October 2005, focused primarily on Chinese, Korean, and
> Japanese languages, and the second [WS2], in Crete, Greece, in May
> 2006, focused primarily on Arabic, Indian, and Eastern European
> languages. The third workshop [WS3], in Hyderabad, India, in January
> 2007, focused heavily on Indian and Middle Eastern
> languages. Information collected during these workshops was used to
> develop a requirements document [REQS11]. Changes from SSML 1.0 are
> motivated by these requirements.
>
> This document has been reviewed by W3C Members, by software
> developers, and by other W3C groups and interested parties, and is
> endorsed by the Director as a W3C Recommendation. It is a stable
> document and may be used as reference material or cited from another
> document. W3C's role in making the Recommendation is to draw attention
> to the specification and to promote its widespread deployment. This
> enhances the functionality and interoperability of the Web.
>
> This document was produced by a group operating under the 5 February
> 2004 W3C Patent Policy. W3C maintains a public list of any patent
> disclosures made in connection with the deliverables of the group;
> that page also includes instructions for disclosing a patent. An
> individual who has actual knowledge of a patent which the individual
> believes contains Essential Claim(s) must disclose the information in
> accordance with section 6 of the W3C Patent Policy.
> --
> Ian Jacobs (ij@w3.org)    http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs/
> Tel:                                      +1 718 260 9447
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -- 
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