Re: Requirements for a network printing environment (long?)

[Steve Smith <[e-mail]>]

Brad,

Thanks for your comments, and especially the reality check on what happens
with commitees, working groups and "grand designs".

Part of my reason for casting my ideas upon the IETF waters is that in
my own environment I have little interest in the details or interest
only in the details.  Management just wants it all to work up to an
ill-defined and traveling spec.  The worker bees just want it to do
what they want it to do and to hell with everybody else.  My implementers
just want it to be "doable", "the design should only be as big as the
resource to implement it".  All very valid positions and points.

The IETF print-wg clearly has put some miles on this effort and 

has found some of the pitfalls of standards and the like.  I agree.
I'm not sure I am looking for a place to spend more precious energy
but I AM looking for a place to share ideas and develop synergistic
relationships and the like.

I am stuck on any formal proposals... I have a number of assigned
ones on the table right now but the audiences are radically different
than the IETF.  Would the IETF print-wg want me to make a proposal
to them?  What would that entail?  What would you want?  What would
that commit me to?

What I am currently delivering includes:  "Network Printing Strategy
for ICN2" (a high-level design for printing within the context of
our local network(s)), and "Network Output Strategies" (a high-level
design for output of electronic information throughout the laboratory,
including traditional graphic arts, library needs, facilities management
and GIS map generation, et cetera).  These are both targeted at specific
management groups and are twisted to their needs.  


Attaching something intended for a more general audience (such as yourselves)
or something generated under joint collaboration would be good for both
of the above efforts.  Anyone interested in this?

Who all is active on this list and cares about these issues?  Is everyone
worrying only the spooler issues?  Can we let go of the spooler concept
and embrace a more serious "print server" model?

- Steve