Dear ODF TC members Following our brief discussion at our meeting on 4/Dec/23, here is my proposed response to the request for feedback on the OASIS best practice draft document (âthe documentâ) circulated to OASIS members on 28/Nov/23 (covering email appended below and draft document attached). You may also wish to refer to the OASIS Technical Committee Process (this document is the current version, although the link confusingly suggests it is the previous version). - The document should make it clear that âwork productsâ include new editions of existing OASIS standards. It would be helpful to have some guidance on the expected relationship, if any, between successive editions of an ODF standard.
- There is no mention in section 2.1 of the document that TCs, such as the ODF TC, use significant resources and processes in the development of Unofficial Working Drafts (WDs), such as the use of Github for document and associated code development. WDs may go through a lengthy process of development using such resources and processes before they are considered to be ready for formal review. In the case of the ODF TC, the development of WDs in Github typically consumes significantly more elapsed time than the formal process once a CSD is ready. Some guidance on best practice for using such resources and processes would be very welcome.
- While circumstances of individual TCs will vary, some general guidance on best practice would be welcome for the following:
- At what point to âaccept and adoptâ a WD as a WP;
- At what point to move from WD to CSD.
- A glossary of terms would be a useful addition to the document. For example, differences in the meanings of terms such as âacceptâ, âadoptâ and âapproveâ could be explained.
- Please label figures throughout the document and, where appropriate, reference them in the text. This will make it easier for TC users of the document to make reference to specific figures, when discussing how to apply the guidance in their own specific circumstances.
- Section 2.6.1 (Standing Rule 3) seems to offer scope for abuse. Some âtypo fixesâ and âgrammar problemsâ may only be resolved by changes that affect the meaning of the text and therefore be material changes. The enactment of Standing Rule 3 by TCs should be discouraged and should be subject to some kind of external oversight when it occurs.
I would appreciate receiving any suggestions for improvement of the above. Kind regards, Francis From: Chet Ensign <chet.ensign@oasis-open.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2023 3:42 PM
To: Members <members@lists.oasis-open.org>; project-announce@lists.oasis-open.org
Cc: Kelly Cullinane <kelly.cullinane@oasis-open.org>; Paul Knight <paul.knight@oasis-open.org>
Subject: [members] Seeking feedback on OASIS best practice draft document Attention: TC Chairs, Secretaries, and Editors Dear Chairs, Secretaries, and Editors,
Chairs please forward this email to your secretaries and editors.
The OASIS Board Process committee has been working on a series of best current practice documents to simplify how work is done at OASIS and ultimately make things easier for chairs and editors.
The first document we would like you all to review is called âThe Document Life Cycle for TCsâ. This document provides guidance on how work products in the OASIS Technical Committee (TC) program progress through the various development stages of a documentâs lifecycle. This document also defines three optional standing rules that a TC may enact. These standing rules simplify when ballots are needed, clarify when and how approvals are done, can reduce voting fatigue, and can reduce delays due to administrative process. These can be adopted on a document by document basis or be adopted globally by the TC for all documents. In the latter case, a TC may consider doing this during the formation of the TC.
Please review the attached PDF document and provide feedback, comments, and suggestions by December 22nd via the Github issue tracker, the Google Doc, or by sending them directly to myself and Chet.
Google Doc Link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SdwGRJ1iXpqYr4bhXADkRrdNNFgDVj-9fVFhVkOi0QI/edit#heading=h.tqvhottykjcv
Github issue for this document:
https://github.com/oasis-board-process-committee/OBCPs/issues/31
If you have any concerns please feel free to reach out to me directly or to Chet the OASIS Admin.
Thanks
Bret Jordan
bret.jordan.sdo@gmail.com
Chair OASIS Board Process Committee |