[om] a developer's perspective on CDs

[Manfred Riem]

Hi All,

> I was just visiting www.openmath.org and couldn't find any 
> CDs no matter which links I tried (I was looking for the CDs 
> pertaining to polynomials). Now I imagine that it's just an 
> html programming error, but that isn't the point.
>
> The point is, it reveals that OpenMath developers are not 
> using www.openmath.org as a forum to propose, discuss and 
> disseminate their ideas for CDs. I strongly believe that this 
> is where we should all be floating CDs as RFCs and conducting 
> dicussion about them. This should be a place with visible 
> OpenMath activity. At the moment it looks like we're all
> dead.

Agreed. The mailinglist needs to be used more than it is used.

> Moreover, a six week refereeing process doesn't inspire faith 
> in the outcome. Make CDs public quickly, then people can go 
> ahead and WRITE SOME CODE, being *reasonably* confident that 
> they are heading in a similar direction to at least *someone* 
> else.  We need to loosen up and let the CDs evolve under use. 
> I don't believe that referees can decide whether a CD is right 
> or wrong in six weeks. We need to *use* them and *discover* 
> whether they're right or wrong.

OK, yes, we need to use them, but a RFC doesn't specify anything
about how to handle version-numbers of a specific CD. So although
I'm a big supporters of open models, yet, it still needs to be
so that we don't have any surprises along the line (like in changing
a CD over night and not giving it a different name....).

> In summary, the frustrating pace at which we're moving towards
> having a known and well understood set of CDs to work from, is a 
> fundamental problem with the notions we've started with. The 
> words "official", "public", "endorsed" and "refereed" are really 
> holding us back. IMHO the only way to move forward is to "release 
> early, release often" the CDs, not as official, but as RFCs. 

Although the name RFC stands for something it usually is so that
if the community accepts a particular RFC in the long run it still
becomes a STANDARD. Still I also believe it is the way to go!!!!

> Therefore, finally, some concrete proposals which don't 
> require any changes to the standard, or any "official" society 
> position:
> 
> * A proceedure for submitting CDs to become visible on 
>   www.openmath.org, somewhere close to the front page.

Something like a ftp directory where an upload can be done and 
in a .tar.gz or .zip file containing the CD itself and a description,
maybe even an explanation. And then the maintainers need to move 
the files to the appropiate directory.

Or use a CVS server that just exports its contents to a specific
location on the webserver making it easier for administration, 
say once a day.

> * An archived dicussion list - perhaps om at openmath.org - 
> where CDs can be discussed.

Not on om at openmath.org, 'cause that would generate a lot of traffic
for the different CDs.... at least I hope so ;-).

A last comment: form a little taskforce of at most 3 to 4 persons
to tackle this.

Greetz,

Manfred.

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