P&P: Proposed Revisions to Website

["West, Matthew R SITI-ITPSIE" <matthew.west@shell.com>]

Dear Colleagues,

I recently posted what I considered to be relatively mild
changes to the SUO website only to find that they were
apparantly controversial.

The first relates to SUMO. My understanding from the archives
was that SUMO failed its last independent ballot, and had
its status as a "starter" document from its involvement in
the "Lattice of Theories" motion, as indeed did OpenCYC.
Jim's memory is otherwise, and he certainly declared the
motion as passed.

There are a number of issues that come result from this.

1. We need to make a clear statement of how votes are 
counted. It matters much less that they are voted one way 
or another, than that you know which way. As I understand
it, this is not something we can choose, only understand.

2. I think we need to get past some of the history around
starter documents. To do this we need to focus around what
there is clear consensus on, which is the Lattice of Theories
proposal. This has been deliberately inclusive, and all
the important contributions we have are either part of it
or relate to it. In particular I think we need to loose the
term "starter document" which is at best misleading, and at
worst has caused considerable contention. I would suggest
a term like "contribution" or "component" or "subporject" 
as a way to refer to all the individual efforts that have 
been referred to in a successful ballot.

3. I think we should have a page that records our resolutions,
i.e. motions that have passed their vote. Then we have a clear
record of what we have agreed to. It is supprisingly hard
to find previous motions in the archive, not least because
we have used inconsistent language in them (and why
wouldn't we?)

As separate issues I think we should:

1. provide clearer guidance on how to use MajorDomo - we get
regular pleas to the list asking how to unsubscribe.

2. Provide links to the relevant IEEE SA documents that
govern our actions, and our policy in interpreting them
(e.g. becoming a voting member etc.)

3. Provide an extension to the expert contributions concept
by providing a members area where members may publish their
own pages - rather than putting the material through the
exploders.

Your comments would be appreciated.


Matthew West
Principal Consultant
Shell Information Technology International Limited
Shell Centre, London SE1 7NA, United Kingdom

Tel: +44 20 7934 4490 Mobile: +44 7796 336538
Email: matthew.west@shell.com
Internet: http://www.shell.com
http://www.matthew-west.org.uk