Dear members
On Sat, May 3, 2025, at 15:47, Duncan Sparrell via OASIS wrote:
> OASIS is updating its templates and we are sort of stuck in a chicken/egg situation. I recommend reading groups.oasis-open.org/discussion/... <https: groups.oasis-open.org discussion markdown-version-of-cscsd-template> and looking at the example. We can help them get it straightened out by going ahead and starting to use it even if it isn't done yet. I think it's important that we start getting text "on paper" (ie agreed to) so we can work out where we have issues that need to be worked.
>
> Any objections to my making a PR to 'start' the metadata spec 'ahead of time' (since we don't have the official template yet). Obviously it will just be a PR and people can vote against it if they don't like it (or think I weaseled some controversial wording in), but I don't want to do the work if most people are against the idea in the first place (eg would prefer to wait for OASIS template).
>
> Duncan Sparrell [...]
I understand, that the question posed by this email was
on objections, and I do not have one against having early
content focused explorations. Although that may be nice
to know, why do I respond?
Well, I want to repeat, that I do not see any rush or
eagerness needed in such matters (as abbreviations for
some file-path-parts), or even for some markdown text
template version.
1) My co-editor of the verifiable-credentials spec
asked Kelly (OASIS administration) if we need to
now use the new templates (albeit for a different format),
and Kelly responded kindly and pragmatic as always:
>At some point in the next few months we will require transition
>over to the new template, but I understand that a lot of TCs
>have work in progress and I don't want to make it too cumbersome
>for those who have active development on work products.
Also, you may have noticed Bret Jordans call for support on
the markdown text version of the "template", which shows to
me that this important format is not done yet.
I also learned from Bret, that as expected, he could delete
a lot of text from the markdown text, because the other
formats are mixing in a lot of style stuff we can trust to be
externally managed through CSS stylesheets for markdown
rendering to other formats.
2) one reason for markdown is that it uses space to expose a
layout in source already and usually leads to a content
focused style, which can very easily be recast into
changed OASIS outlines and looks (some shuffling of
section-files say in a binder and using an updated CSS
stylesheet, done).
3) we still have contributions, that are not present
for example the XML schema and examples. So, any
explorations will surely not be final.
4) a spec profits from local examples which in our
case of data-provenance will be use-cases, right?
So, we will profit from trying out slicing and dicing
such normative and informative parts in different
ways to trial a digestable core spec and unduplicated
softer documents on use-cases.
Hope this helps and please all consider "this"
endeavor not a one mile run but realistically more a marathon.
Cheers,
Stefan.
Original Message:
Sent: 5/3/2025 9:47:00 AM
From: Duncan Sparrell
Subject: Chicken/Egg on getting draft text started
OASIS is updating its templates and we are sort of stuck in a chicken/egg situation. I recommend reading https://groups.oasis-open.org/discussion/markdown-version-of-cscsd-template and looking at the example. We can help them get it straightened out by going ahead and starting to use it even if it isn't done yet. I think it's important that we start getting text "on paper" (ie agreed to) so we can work out where we have issues that need to be worked.
Any objections to my making a PR to 'start' the metadata spec 'ahead of time' (since we don't have the official template yet). Obviously it will just be a PR and people can vote against it if they don't like it (or think I weaseled some controversial wording in), but I don't want to do the work if most people are against the idea in the first place (eg would prefer to wait for OASIS template).
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Duncan Sparrell
Chief Cyber Curmudgeion
sFractal Consulting LLC
Oakton VA
703-828-8646
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