> It wouldn't make sense to use a different namespace for the draft, and 
> then change the namespace, because that would mean that experimental 
> implementations would all have to be changed (we shouldn't be making 
> substantive changes between agreeing on a draft and releasing an 
> endorsed specification, and changing the namespace is a very major 
> change in terms of compatibility).

That is the point I am trying to make - at the moment people are free to 
propose a draft specification, assign themselves and cellml.org 
namespace and thats it. To me this shows that the specification is 
supported and endorsed by the CellML Project.

> Having specifications in the URL is appropriate for a draft 
> specification. The only time this would be a problem would be if a draft 
> purported to be endorsed by the CellML team when it was not (all drafts 
> at the moment have language which makes it explicitly clear that they 
> are drafts, and are not yet endorsed).

I'm not talking about draft specifications - I'm trying to say that 
before draft specifications are endorsed by the CellML Project by adding 
them to the specifications page and assigning an appropriate cellml.org 
namespace there needs to be a process whereby the CellML community, and 
ultimately the management committee, can decide whether the 
specification is appropriate for the CellML project. For such a decision 
to be made, some effort must have already been made in terms of 
developing an outline of the specification and a description of the 
purpose for the specification.

> This is the usual way of developing standards:
> 1) Someone writes a draft.
> 2) The community identifies problems with the draft.
> 3) Any problems are fixed, and step 2 is repeated until the draft is of 
> good quality.
> 4) The specification gets endorsed by the group standardising the 
> specification.

Exactly, I have no trouble with this process. I just think there needs 
to be a step 0 whereby someone proposes a potential specification and we 
need to decide if the CellML Project/community is the best place for 
steps 1-4 to occur.

> I don't foresee how having many specifications up there can cause 
> problems, but if any problems do arise, there is no reason why we can't 
> adopt a different policy later.

Well, I think between us we have covered most of the relevant issues, so 
unless someone else speaks up I guess I'm the only one who sees this 
approach as a problem and we'll just leave things as they are...



David.

-- 
David Nickerson, PhD
Research Fellow
Division of Bioengineering
Faculty of Engineering
National University of Singapore
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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