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Sender: kstaken
Message-ID: <3A9AEC9B.7170005D@dbxmlgroup.com>
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 16:54:03 -0700
From: Kimbro Staken <kstaken@dbxmlgroup.com>
Organization: dbXML Group L.L.C
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: general@xml.apache.org
Subject: Re: Volunteers needed: Reboot of the XML 'PMC'.
References: <200102260855.f1Q8tiK31135@mobile.webweaving.org>
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Hello,

This is something that I would be interested in. I'm not someone who has
been particularly active with Apache XML projects but that is mainly
because I am active with the development of dbXML which is an Open
Source native XML database. The dbXML project makes extensive use of ASF
developed technologies including Xalan J, Xerces J, SOAP and Cocoon
among others. Because of this and the significant boost that these
technologies have given to the dbXML project it is my desire to find a
way that I can help with the efforts of the Apache XML projects.
Assisting on the PMC may be a good way for this to occur.

For a little about me since I'm probably unknown to most, I am currently
employed as Chief Technology Officer for The dbXML Group which is the
company funding the dbXML project. I am also one of the founders of and
sit on the PMC for the XML:DB initiative. http://www.xmldb.org XML:DB is
working on XML database interoperability specifications and reference
implementations using a model heavily inspired by that of the ASF.
Overall I consider myself an XML technologist and am very interested in
open source development and improving the process associated with it.

Hopefully my participation is welcome and I can profitably contribute.

Thanks

-- 
Kimbro Staken
Chief Technology Officer
dbXML Group L.L.C
http://www.dbxmlgroup.com

"Dirk-Willem van Gulik (vaio)" wrote:
> 
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> Folks,
> 
> As most of you know, the XML project is part of the Apache Software
> Foundation (ASF) which has a Board of Director's. Guiding the XML projects
> is delegated to a 'PMC/XML' - a project management committee specific to
> the XML projects. Which guides and helps (new and current) XML projects
> with things like the initial bootstrapping, licenses and so on - as well
> as trying to coordinate between projects. All groups are volunteers - just
> like all of us here on the mailing lists.
> 
> The task of the PMC is primarily oversight on behalf of the board from a
> more legal and organizational perspective. It deals primarily with fairly
> dry things things such as questions about licenses, new projects and so on.
> 
> During the last 6 months or so; the current PMC (which largely was
> responsible for creating the XML project originally) has not been as
> active as it should have been. And this is a problem -as small though the
> role of a PMC is; it is essential for the foundation and essential if we
> want to make sure there is synergy.
> 
> Both the PMC as well as the Board now consider it essential to get a new
> PMC on the road again - and I am left with the task to do this.
> 
> Now this official talk might sound grave and worrysome; but in all
> honestly, such things are a common reality in any volunteer organization
> and are possible to fix. I'd like to stress that since there is a lot of
> good coding being done; we do see the XML projects as a healthy bunch.
> 
> So during the next weeks I am asking your help -as you folks are
> essentially the 'core' of what the apache XML project is- to define the
> future of the XML projects.
> 
> The discussion will take place on the
> 
>                 general@xml.apache.org
> 
> mailing list. Subscribe, if you have not already done so, by sending
> mail to:
> 
>                 general-subscribe@xml.apache.org
> 
> Plan of action:
> 
> What the ASF board wants us to do in the next few weeks is the following:
> 
> 1.      Propose a new PMC to the board which has a good
>         overview of all active XML projects and wants to work
>         on the bigger picture.
> 
>         In other words - we need volunteers.
> 
> We need to have 3 to 9 people. The exact number and composure can be done
> by consensus - or we can have a vote using the usual committer vote. This
> new PMC can either be an interim PMC or one for a longer period. Whichever
> is felt as most appropriate. We intentionally break here with the system
> where the old PMC nominates the new. We want the broadest committer driven
> representation possible.
> 
> The first task for the PMC will be:
> 
> 2.      Work with the ASF board to re-define it's current charter.
>         Right now it is too narrow and only covers XML parsers!
> 
> And following this we need to work on where the XML project should
> go; what good metric's are to measure and accept new projects; how and
> when to phase out inactive projects and how we might want to work with the
> Jakarta folks. As right now one of our bigger puzzles is version-ing and
> release management; we have a lot of dependencies.
> 
> Please be so kind to follow up on
> 
>         general@xml.apache.org
> 
> In order to keep things moving forward; these are the questions we
> need to discuss at a minimum:
> 
> 1.      Who wants to volunteer for the next PMC - and how
>         do we make sure there is a good cross representation
>         of all projects within the XML project.
> 
> 2.      Where do we want the XML projects to go; what is our
>         scope ? Right now we say:
> 
>         o to provide commercial-quality standards-based XML
>         solutions that are developed in an open and cooperative
>         fashion,
> 
>         o to provide feedback to standards bodies (such as
>         IETF and W3C) from an implementation perspective, and
> 
>         o to be a focus for XML-related activities within
>         Apache projects
> 
>         Is this still appropriate ? Can we narrow it down, is
>         this enough guidance ? Are all projects positioned
>         right ? How do we deal with new projects ?
> 
> 3.      Think of synergy; how can we make all this work better
>         when used together. How could we improve version-ing,
>         should we work with the Jakarta folks more closely ?
> 
> So again; follow up on general@xml.apache.org - and come with an open mind
> - - focused on the future;
> 
>         Thanks everyone !
> 
> Dw
> - --
> Dirk-Willem van Gulik, ASF board member and PMC/XML.
> 
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