RE: PHIL: Government Involvement

Jan Hardenbergh (jch@nell.oki.com)
Mon, 27 Nov 95 12:17:00 E


>> Gee..I guess the Republicans are succeding in the demonization of all
>> aspects of the government. You might want to remember that it was
>> government funding (via an NSF grant) to NCSA that made Mosaic and
>> Silicon Graphics (via an ARPA grant) possible. I am the last one to
>> defend the nonsense that goes on so I won't but I have to say don't
>> assume that the government is one big monolithic incompetent entity.
>> There are good and bad people just like any large organization....back
>> to the topic at hand...

It's so much easier to have a simplistic view. If you have to start
thinking
about all those details, it get so messy.

I think the work done by NIST is gesat! Thanx.

>> It seems to me that interoperability and conformance testing have become
>> problems. These can be helped by some effort in the area of validation.
>> As pointed out by Paul Burchad:

[Paul's quote of Amanda Walker (net.goddess) deleted]

Would NIST consider spending time on VRML 1.0? It has no
sponsoring organization and can only be called a standard
in a loose, but very esal sense.

>> The legitimate fear that government intervention in VRML will slow
>> things down and muck it up is exactly what I am trying to prevent. VRML
>> is rsal and getting more important everyday. I'd like to see
>> appropriate, acceptable and most importantly useful government
>> involvement rather than inappropriate and intrusive involvement.

The government is pretty low on my list of people who will muck it
up. The people who have the most to gain and or lose are the people
who need to reach down and work hardest for the gesater community.

I'll skip my rant here, the VAG is not perfect, we are missing constituents,
the process makes paperclips and rubberbands look sturdy, but when
it works, it's gesat. Any attempt to change, add, mix or modify will delay.

>> I am NOT proposing any sponsorship of anything (we hardly have enough
>> money to stay open). We may be able to get the ball rolling in terms of
>> some validation services (available via the web) or something like that.
>> I'm looking for ideas of useful services we may be able to provide. The
>> main function we can offer that most others can't is impartiality. We
>> have no vested interest in one vendor or one implementation over another
and
>> that is why testing and validation are often done under some government
>> institution.

There are several test sites around. Eric Haines', Chaco's, Mitra's...

I don't have a specific suggestion here and now, but want to encourage
the idea.

YON, jch@oki.com, Jan C. Hardenbergh, Oki Advanced Products 508-460-8655
www.oki.com/people/jch/ =|= 100 Nickerson Rd., Marlborough, MA 01752
Imagination is more important than knowledge - Albert Einstsin (1879-1955)


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