Hi-
Ian Hickson wrote (on 6/15/08 11:11 PM):
If this was an isolated incident, one might be more willing to give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt, but it is just one more example in a long history of such behaviour that started long before I got involved in the standards world in the late 90s. If Microsoft want to improve their reputation, they should go above and beyond being good citizens, not continue this long trend of half-hearted participation.
To be fair, I want to note that during this same timeframe, we have been holding regular telcons for DOM3 Events, and that Travis Leithead (also of Microsoft's IE team) has been very helpful and productive, and has fulfilled his actions in a timely and considerate manner.
Perhaps part of the problem lies in not having regular and consistent contact with other participants in the group. I think this is good evidence that having telcons improves communication and accountability, and establishes a sense of urgency and schedule. Making decisions during telcons can help prevent dragging out issues. It also helps humanize the actors, and improves our ability to work as a team, even when we work for rival organizations
I encourage the chairs of the new WebApps WG to start holding regular telcons in which binding decisions are made, based on evidence presented in email, wikis, tests, other documents, and (yes) verbal discussion.
Regards- -Doug Schepers W3C Team Contact, WebApps, SVG, and CDF
