SUO: Revised Call for Vote on Merged Ontology
SUO Participants,
1. Since the prior vote had a variety of problems, it is amended as follows
to focus on the key question.
2. If you have already cast a vote (and received acknowledgement) you don't
need to vote again, unless you wish to change your vote or comments.
However, this is an open list and all are welcome to post or repost their
opinions.
3. This message is a call for a vote on the question:
Should the IEEE Standard Upper Ontology Working
Group
commence work on the Merged Ontology as posted by
Ian Niles with the intent of attempting to develop
it into a final standards document?
4. Background: If this vote passes, this document will change from being
the work (and under the control) of a group of individuals to being the work
(and under the control) of the SUO WG. A Technical Editor will need to be
appointed or elected, who will need group approval before making changes.
This does not require frequent formal votes for every change. A better
approach for daily or weekly updates is to develop consensus by resolving
objections, as we did when revising the Scope and Purpose. In other words,
the editor posts a suggested change and asks for any objections. Items that
do not have clear consensus would be accumulated. Then, every 3-6 months
the group could have a formal vote on what would be the next 'Working
Draft.' Comments would be submitted and resolved before approval as the next
Working Draft.
5. The purpose of this vote is to determine the level of consensus we have
for focusing work on this document. In other words, we need to decide if we
are going to go down this path or not. A working group may decide to work
on more than one document, so anyone else is free to submit one.
6. The primary purpose of this vote is NOT to propose improvements to the
document, unless they are major enough for you to vote against focusing work
on this document. However, such general improvement comments are welcome
and will be resolved (but not unless and until the vote passes. There would
be no sense in resolving comments if the group does not want to proceed with
this document.).
7. Since we are still in the process of establishing official voting rights,
I suggest we first conduct this as an unofficial straw poll, such that
anyone can cast a vote. After resolving all comments, if consensus is not
clear, we will have the option of conducting a formal vote (once voting
rights are established).
8. Your options for voting are YES (comments optional), NO (comments
required), or ABSTAIN (comments optional).
9. You may send your votes either to me or to this reflector.
10. Please vote by Feb 1, 2001.
Jim Schoening
Chair, SUO WG