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RE: [legalxml-sc] OASIS - LegalXML Steering Committee Minutes -7/10/2002

From: Eddie O'Brien
To: [email protected]
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 08:27:00 -0000

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Subject: RE: [legalxml-sc] OASIS - LegalXML Steering Committee Minutes -7/10/2002

From: Eddie O'Brien <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 08:26:14 -0400

To all,

With respect to the Transcript Discussion List and its future as either
a full OASIS Technical Committee or of taking the group into the eFiling
TC as a sub-committee. A few background points:

1. The basic Oasis TC charter is complete
2. The existing draft DTD is fundamentally appropriate and has been
tested to suit the defined needs of Legal Transcripts.
3. A good deal of further development would be required to complete a
good first release candidate whether a DTD or Schema
4. I have recently been in "online" and "offline" conversations with the
National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) and the National Verbatim
Reporters Association (NVRA) about their commitment to creating a
Transcript standard. The NCRA President, Mark Golden, is involved and
they are reviewing their stance as are the NVRA.
5. My recent mail inquiring about interest from the community in a
Transcript standard got a lot of positive feedback - mostly offline -
shy lot of people on the list.
6. I believe that the process of creating any standard most be driven by
the people with the largest interests. In this case - the ABA, NCRA,
NVRM, Judges, etc.
7. Transcripts and court reporting in particular is a pretty political
space. I'm not a politician but a computer scientist and business
manager. 


My recommendation is that we should make a further, Transcript
discussion group posting statement, that states that unless a strong
group of advocates are found, including a TC Leader, then this work
should be move into a sub-committee of the eFiling group.

I have started this process with the recent posts so I think this is a
practical approach.


On a personal note. As everyone will know I am a vocal advocate for open
standards! However, my own direct interests and my business interests
don't have a transcript standard as any meaningful priority. My company,
Ringtail, is far more interested in the eFiling standards and even more
in eContract standards. Therefore I have continued this work with the
sole purpose of handing on the baton to the next group and perhaps
partly as a good corporate citizen. I'm happy to stay involved in the
Transcript standard work as I understand the issues as well if not
better than anyone. I also fully intend to stay active in the other
LegalXML/OASIS standards but with a status of active member. If there is
a continuing practical and useful role I can serve at the steering group
level then I'm also happy to be involved - but not as treasurer. :)

Cordially

Eddie