[legalxml-sc] Let's Take Up These Questions at our Next Meeting

MHonArc v2.5.2 -->

legalxml-sc message

[Date Prev]
 | [Thread Prev]
 | [Thread Next]
 | [Date Next]

--

[Date Index]
 | [Thread Index]
 | [Elist Home]

Subject: [legalxml-sc] Let's Take Up These Questions at our Next Meeting

From: Daniel Greenwood <>

To: "Bergeron, Donald L. (LNG)" <>

Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 16:23:15 -0400

Hi Don,

Apparently my suggestion was unclear, and for that I apologize.  I am
not proposing that TCs under LegalXML be required to conduct all
official decision making via live meetings.  You are quite right that
it would be up to each TC to make that decision for themselves.
Actually, I think e-mail works fine for TCs - given the nature of
their work.  However, given the administrative and regular nature of
the Steering Committee's work - and especially in view of our
experiences of the past - I do not see any reason to permit official
decisions to be made outside of official meetings of the Steering
Committee.  As a matter of fact, the OASIS Board has a similar rule.
I am on several Boards at this point, and they all act the same way.
The alternative is an endless administrative process, and it puts the
focus of time and attention on ministerial rather than substantive
matters.  I really must insist that we follow this best business
practice and conduct our official business during official meetings -
absent an emergency need to act more quickly.

With respect to the IP clause, it is critically important that it be
required to be in all LegalXML TCs and that must be official doctrine.
There is nothing to be gained by keeping this requirement in the realm
of oral folk tradition.  There is, however, much to be lost in terms
of breaking the basic political and legal arrangement we worked out
whereby it is a matter of explicit mandate that all LegalXML TCs have
such language in their charter.  The way an official requirement is
stated is in an official document.  I don't really care whether that
document is our Steering Committee Charter or simply our Steering
Committee's IP Policy, or whatever.  But it needs to be in the form of
a binding explicit and accessible record.

Neither of these changes will slow down the effective start date of
our new document - which is some weeks after the first meeting of the
4th LegalXML TC.  There is no serious need to discuss them now, given
our propensity to simply talk and talk.  Rather, I propose to simply
make it an agenda item and hash it out - with a vote if necessary -
during our next regularly scheduled meeting.  The alternative of
interminable e-mails is not attractive - but looms nonetheless.

Thanks,
 - Dan