A few quick ODF updates. We have a number of projects moving forward at multiple levels.
First, just last week the OASIS ODF TC approved the ODF 1.2 Committee Specification. This is the highest level of approval we can give to the specification in the technical committee.
As some of you probably know, most standards bodies have a two-level approval process, where work originates in a technical committee (in some organizations called a working group) where the specification is written, reviewed and approved by specialists, before being passed on to a “consensus body” for approval by a wider group of interests. We see this in ISO/IEC JTC1, with work first approved at the WG/SC level, and then final approval given by JTC1.
An OASIS Committee Specification requires 2/3 approval of the TC, with no more than 25% disapproving. ODF 1.2’s ballot ended last week with 17 Yes votes, 100%.
The TC’s work on ODF 1.2 is now done. There are some adminstrative tasks remaining, and we need to go through the review/approval by the general OASIS membership, but the technical work is now done. We now move on to ODF 1.3, as well as some maintenance-related activities on ODF 1.1.
And speaking of maintenance, we have two ballots related to IS 26300 underway in ISO/IEC JTC1:
- A DCOR ballot to approve technical corrigenda for ISO ODF, mainly correction of typographical errors reported by the UK and Japan. This ballot will end April 25th.
- An FPDAM ballot to approve an amendment to ISO ODF. The effect of this amendment will be to make ISO ODF be equiavelent to OASIS ODF 1.1. This ballot will end June 8th.
I’d urge NB members to review these documents carefully and cast a vote in these ballots.
On the ODF-Next side, the discussion that is getting the most attention right now is related to change tracking. The Advanced Document Collaboration subcommittee is now reviewing two proposals, one contributed by DeltaXML and another contributed by Microsoft. We’ll be having a series of meetings in April to discuss these two proposals. Hopefully we’ll reach a consensus, possibly a compromise. If necessary, as a last resort, we’ll vote.
That’s a great news. What’s the plan for ODF 1.3?
> … mainly correction of typographical errors reported by the UK and Japan.
I can imagine the typos that the UK had to point out: center => centre, color => colour, analyze => analyse. :-)
(Great news that the specs are moving forward.)