Unfortunately the date is missing, but we know it's defintely before 5/94.
To: "Ronald E. Daniel" <rdaniel@acl.lanl.gov>
From: "Daniel W. Connolly" <connolly@hal.com>
The Online Information Access System (OLIAS) project here at HaL
Software Systems recently has undertaken support for the World-Wide
Web; we have announced client-side features, and we're working toward
complete integration of the internet publishing model into the OLIAS
product.
The W3 application has created a whole new marketplace, and new
features are being developed all the time. This is great for some
folks, but for vendors trying to support products, such moving targets
are a nightmare. Even W3 users are frustrated at the lack of working
specifications and definitive reference documentation. When something
goes wrong -- which it inevitably will in such a complex, large scale
distributed application -- this lack of specification means that
applications often fail to anticipate anomalous situations, and it is
often impossible even to tell which part of the system is at fault.
This is an invitation to begin collaborating on vendor-supported open
specifications of the W3 application; to put in place and maintain
such mechanisms as:
* published specifications for HTML (and HTTP? a browser spec?)
* specification review/maintenance mechanisms
* conformance testing/validation suites for implementations
* document validation and maintenance tools for authors and publishers
Experience from other areas of technology has shown the benefits of
the relevant parties working together to promote interoperability. We
have worked successfully with O'Reilly and other vendors in the area
of software documentation via the Davenport group to come up with
standards for interchange of technical manuals. The time has come for
the W3 community to implement a similar concept.
HaL Software Systems is willing to help organize such an effort. I am
willing to continue my work on the HTML specification and its
associated SGML DTD. But this is something that can not be done
unilaterally. We all need to buy into this concept.
I'd like to get together in Geneva during the upcoming W3 conference
to discuss creating a formal organization focused on W3 standards.
If you are interested in contributing, please let me know.
Daniel W. Connolly "We believe in the interconnectedness of all things"
Software Engineer, Hal Software Systems, OLIAS project (512) 834-9962 x5010
<connolly@hal.com> http://www.hal.com/%7Econnolly/index.html