Subject: PWG-ANNOUNCE> PWG Process Draft

From: Harry Lewis <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 22:35:27 -0700

The PWG Process for developing standards is under revision. Quite a bit of 
work has gone into this, already, with several SM and PSI calls dedicating 
time to this topic as they both felt the need to crisp up the process in 
support of their own working group efforts. We have simplified the process 
and reduced the overall number of steps. At a very high level the PWG 
process now consists of a period during which 

1. Charter and requirements are developed and agreed to (exit via "Formal 
Approval of the PWG"
2. The Standard is developed via a series of "Working Drafts" usually 
aimed at a v1.0 of the Standard (unless the Charter is to revise an 
existing standard in which case the target might be v1.1 or v2.0, for 
example)
3. A "Candidate Standard" which is indication that the standards 
development activity has reach a high degree of maturity and an 
appropriate level for implementation and interop testing. Some vendors may 
choose to ship implementations based on Candidate Standards.
4. A "Standard" (with an IEEE ISTO "number") which indicates a very stable 
version has been shown to be interoperable and has gained industry 
support. 

A draft of the updated PWG process is available at 
ftp://ftp.pwg.org/pub/pwg/www/chair/pwg-process20-20030217.doc I invite 
participation in reviewing an commenting. We may want to add a process 
diagram similar to what we have in the existing process... I haven't 
gotten to this. 

Once the new process is adopted, we will have to decide what to do about 
items currently in last call and some items which have been assigned ISTO 
"numbering" w/o having gone through the proper steps (even according to 
the existing process). 

All further discussion of this topic will take place at [email-masked] and 
NOT on the ANNOUNCE list!
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Harry Lewis 
Chairman - ISTO Printer Working Group
IBM Printing Systems 
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