Re: Do we now require change control on specifications we use?

[Carsten Bormann <[e-mail]>]

On Dec 04 2007, at 08:42, Stephane Bortzmeyer wrote:

> That's a completely new argument for me, and a strange one. AFAIK,
> there is no general rule in the IETF that the IETF must have "change
> control" over the specifications it uses. Otherwise, we would never
> used standards from very closed SDOs like ISO or IEEE.

There is no rule.

However, past experience with ASN.1 has created enough scars in this  
community.
Using a base standard that is a moving target, in control by people  
who don't care about our needs, is a problem.

XML is *not* a moving target.
ASN.1 was.  Worse, it was in the control of tool vendors who were  
living off changes to the "standard" and increasing complexity in  
order to sell upgrades and keep a high barrier to market entry.

Exercise to the reader: Where in this picture is XSD?
(Hint: Whose interests/which forces shape this specification and its  
evolution?
Hint2: The existence of an insurgent direct competitor with strong  
support by large parts of the community is an indicator that there  
might be something interesting to find in this space.)

All that said, I'm not sure that XSD actually is that much of a moving  
target (1.1 notwithstanding).

Gruesse, Carsten