From ducrot@helpe.inria.fr Tue Nov 30 18:10:33 1993
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To: Chris Cartledge <C.Cartledge@sheffield.ac.uk>
Cc: SC24 list <sc24@dkuug.dk>, IST/31 <IST31@sheffield.ac.uk>,
        S.Price@sheffield.ac.uk
Subject: Re: (SC24.56) IST/18 comments on NP on PREMO (fwd) 
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Tue, 30 Nov 93 17:54:20 +0100."
             <199311301720.AA06654@dkuug.dk> 
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 93 18:10:33 +0000
From: Andre.Ducrot@inria.fr
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I know that what I will say is quite provocative, but I think that is
the problem. There are already too much things in the NP. The NP is a
dead document as soon as it gets approved. There is no mecchanism
within ISO to verify that the standard you are developping is in
accordance with the NP which have been voted (I will say hopefully
since the NP is generally 5 or 6 years old when the standard is published). 

The only way to insure that standards are compatible is via liaisons
and participation of experts of various groups to the work. This has
been used between CGM and SC18 quite efficiently as an example. I am
pushing very high to get a suitable participation from SC29 (MHEG) in
the next SC24 meeting. This is the way to insure that work is not
duplicated. I think that if you try to resolve all technical issues in
the NP, you will never have a standard. Another thing, first remember
that this new vote is an unnecessary request from JTC1 secretariat
(formally, there was enough support and participation to approve it).
Don't worry, France was in the minority, but we have also to recognize
the rights of the majority.

Regards

Andre Ducrot
