DR 08-0015: Making rapid progress

[MURATA Makoto (FAMILY Given)]

Dear colleagues,

I am concerned about the slow progress of DR 08-0015 
(General: Differences between ISO/IEC 29500:2008 and ECMA-
376:2006, SpreadsheetML), which was submitted November 
2008.  We have made some progress in Prague, but
we have not made much progress after that.

If we do not reach consensus on this issue within a 
month, I do not think we can start the FDAM ballot 
after our Denmark meeting.

Moreover, this issue will become away more difficult 
if we have to consider documents conformant to pre-AMD1 
29500 as well as those conformant to post-AMD1 29500.

To close this DR very soon, I would like to recommend 
two things to WG4 members.

  Write detailed proposals rather than suggesting ideas orally.
  In our future teleconferences, I would like compare a few 
  fully-described options and choose a reasonable one; I do not
  intend to spend time on unwritten ideas.

  Be a minimalist and make timely decisions.  The original XML 
  Working Group always cared the "minimum required to declare 
  victory" and made timely decisions.  As for this DR, I believe 
  that the best solution 1 year later will be significantly 
  worse than the worst solution at hand now.

Regards,

Your pessimistic convenor
MURATA Makoto (FAMILY Given)