[sc34wg3] Questions from a concerned TM user...

[Lars Marius Garshol]

Here are my proposed answers to these questions. 

* Mats Nordborg
| 
| The reasons for their [the steering committee's, SP] concerns are:
| 
|      - How will the standard evolve?
|          - Will it undergo changes in the future?
|               - What are the planned changes and future additions?

The guide to topic map standardization (N0323) anwers this. Basically
the planned changes to ISO 13250 are in how it is formulated and not
to do with new features. We will add a specialized syntax for
conformance testing, however (the canonicalization syntax).

We are also adding the Reference Model, which is an intellectual tool
for exploring what topic maps really mean, and how they can be related
to other information technologies. It is not in itself a change to the
standard. 

|               - When are we likely to see them?

By the London meeting in May next year the picture should be fairly
clear. 

|          - How compatible will the standard after the changes be with
|            the standard today?

The ISO committee resolved that we are not creating XTM 2.0, but only
firming up the specification of topic maps, but that we will allow
ourselves to fix bugs when doing so. We will not change XTM or HyTM in
ways that will render existing topic maps syntactically invalid.
 
|      - The companies developing tools are fairly small, to what extent can
|        they be trusted?
|          - What will happen to the standard if the pioneering
|            companies go out of business?

Frankly, that's impossible to tell. There's now quite a few pioneering
companies in this area, but if they all go out of business, well...
The open source tools will remain available, at least.

|          - What is the interest like from big corporations in using
|            Topic Maps?

It's picking up. I'll be speaking to 100 people at Boeing next week,
Microsoft is trying to hire topic map experts, Schlumberger made their
own topic map engine, several big Japanese companies are showing
interest, Software AG has done a prototype implementation, and so on.

|          - Are the big software developers showing any intrest in it?

Beyond what is mentioned above, not really.

-- 
Lars Marius Garshol, Ontopian         <URL: http://www.ontopia.net >
ISO SC34/WG3, OASIS GeoLang TC        <URL: http://www.garshol.priv.no >