Subject: Document SC22 N2321 - Report on JTC 1 IT Ad Hoc Meeting

From: "william c. rinehuls" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 1996 17:42:32 -0500 (EST)

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ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22
Programming languages, their environments and system software interfaces
Secretariat:  U.S.A.  (ANSI)

ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22
N2321

November 1996

TITLE:            SC22 Chairman's Report on JTC 1 Ad Hoc on IT Meeting

SOURCE:           Secretariat, ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22

WORK ITEM:        N/A

STATUS:           N/A

CROSS REFERENCE:  N/A

DOCUMENT TYPE:    Chairman's Report

ACTION:           To SC22 Member Bodies, WG Conveners and HODs for
                  information.

Address reply to:
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC22 Secretariat
William C. Rinehuls
8457 Rushing Creek Court
Springfield, VA USA 22153
Tel:  +1 (703) 912-9680
Fax:  +1 (703) 912-2973
email:  [email-masked]

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                SC22 Chairman's Report on JTC1 Ad Hoc on IT Meeting

In accordance with resolution 96-43 of our recent SC22 plenary, I
participated on your behalf at the meeting of the JTC1 Ad Hoc on
Implementing Information Technology that met right after our plenary in
London on 30 September - 2 October 1996.  The principal results of the Ad
Hoc are as follows: 

* ISO/IEC Copyright Policy.  A paper with two proposed resolutions was
forwarded to JTC1 with a recommendation that JTC1 adopt them at the
December plenary.  One strongly requests that JTC1 and its reporting
committees be able to continue to make project related documents, up to
but not including the DIS stage, freely available in electronic form.  The
other asks ISO/CS to re-formulate its revised copyright policy so as not
to discourage significant technical contributions.  The details are in an
attachment to the meeting report, JTC1 N4241. 

* JTC1 Policy on Electronic Document Distribution.  A draft revision
(which will be JTC1 N4246) was prepared for review at the December JTC1
plenary.  HTML was added to the list of acceptable formats; the "format of
choice" was deleted although RTF was retained as acceptable.  Instead of a
"format of choice," the Ad Hoc developed a table of recommended formats
based on the final use of the document and recommended that it be
incorporated into the next edition. 

* JTC1 Transition Plan for Implementing the IT Strategy.  A draft revision
of this document was also prepared (to be issued as JTC1 N4244), deleting
stage 1.1 (distribution of all documents via diskette).  The Ad Hoc
recommended a transition timeline calling for JTC1 and SC Secretariats to
maintain all current documents on line, with full implementation by the
end of 1997. 

* Use of the World Wide Web.  ISO is conducting a WWW trial with ten JTC1
SCs (including SC22) and two other TCs linked at present.  The trial web
address is http://www.iso.ch:8080/ISOWeb.html.  Keld Simonsen is helping
in the technical work.  A modified version of JTC1 N4190 (SC22 N2263),
Guidelines on the Creation and Maintenance of Web Servers and Pages, will
be produced and circulated as JTC1 N4243 for comment by SCs and NBs. 

* Electronic Document Tips and Techniques.  The editor will make a few
additions to this guide and produce a revision for circulation. 
Instructions to the editor are in an attachment to the meeting report. 

The SC22 recommendations were well received and for the most part
accepted.  The points in SC22 N2294 were included in the Ad Hoc output on
the ISO/IEC Copyright Policy.  With regard to SC22 N2293: 

* Points 1, 3, 6, and 7 were incorporated in appropriate places of the
documents.  Point 5 is not an action item. 

* Regarding point 2 on the need for a plain text file version of the
balloting form, the Ad Hoc felt that we could create our own if we wish. 

* Regarding point 4 on the scanning of documents, there is no intention to
do OCR-type scanning.  However, as a last resort to accommodate electronic
storage of paper documents, the intent is to use a technology such as a
fax or JPEG format.  There is a strong desire to eliminate paper for
distribution and storage and therefore the Ad Hoc believes some method
will need to be utilized for documents that are not available in one of
the other acceptable formats. 

* The Ad Hoc did not agree with point 8 on the proposed survey of project
editors.  Concerns were expressed about the difficulty of taking such a
survey, how the results would be compiled, the workload entailed in view
of other JTC1 surveys, etc.  Some Ad Hoc members encouraged us to take our
own SC survey.  However, I expressed my personal reservations about the
value of a survey within a single SC since the purpose was to confirm the
suitability of tools for JTC1-wide use and provide guidance for all of
JTC1 for future projects.

The report of the meeting (JTC1 N4241) and other significant output
documents will be distributed by the SC22 Secretariat as soon as they
become available. 

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