DITA 1.3 spec process moving forward

Robert and I want to clarify the DITA 1.3 spec process that we
      will use over the next (less than) three months:

      
        
The spec editors (Kris and Robert) will continue to engage
          in conference calls and unanimously decide on the best
          resolution of comments. (This is time consuming; we are at
          over 40 hours of conference call time.) We will continue to
          send e-mail to the TC for those comments that we cannot
          resolve. Such comments fall in the following categories: 

        

        
          
Wide disagreement between TC members participating in the
            review

          
Requests for changes that exceed the bounds of what the TC
            agreed to in the DITA 1.3 proposals

          
Requests for changes in language that we do not think
            there is TC consensus for

          
Requests for any new normative rules (SHOULD or MUST),
            even when we expect TC consensus

        
        
We will conduct scheduled reviews of specific topic clusters
          that have been significantly reworked, including the
          following:

        
          
Direct (URI-based) addressing

          
Linking

          
Key-based addressing

          
Conref

          
Conditional processing

          
Branch filtering

          
DITA terminology

          

        
        
We ask that people DO NOT provide comments on reworked
          topics until the scheduled review (though we may explicitly
          request individual feedback for some topics). Doing so wastes
          time for both sides, as many topics are checked in before
          planned revisions are complete. With the exception of the
          "Key-based addressing" topic cluster, most of these areas
          render to 5-7 PDF pages.

        
We have a small group of interested parties (Kris, Robert,
          Chris, Eliot, and Jarno Elovirta) who are working to come to
          the best decision regarding the content in the "Key-based
          processing" section. As always, we'll strive for consensus,
          but will go with majority vote, if necessary 

        

      
      - 

      
Best,

        Kris

        

        Kristen James Eberlein

        Chair, OASIS DITA Technical Committee

        Principal consultant, Eberlein Consulting

        www.eberleinconsulting.com

        +1 919 682-2290; kriseberlein (skype)