[sc34wg3] Introduction

[Mary Nishikawa]

Hi,

I have recently become a member of TC 34 Japan and subscriber to this list, 
and was encouraged to give an introduction, so here goes.

Some of you may know me a little already, since we have worked together in 
the TM Published Subjects Technical Committee in OASIS. You can take a look 
of what I am currently doing here: 
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/tm-pubsubj-comment/200205/msg00010.html

I am EDMS (sigmalink/Epic) Technical Advisor in Schlumberger, Japan. I also 
belong to a group that advises Global IT on XML strategies for Knowledge 
Management initiatives. In the last few years I got involved with  DTD 
development by analysis and testing of three versions of DTDs that Isogen 
was developing for us, and It was exciting to contribute to the process.

Topic Maps caught my interest at the Extreme Markup Conference August 2001. 
You must realize that Topic Maps were introduced to me just as we were 
finalizing an "extremely" modular and flexible documentation model. Later 
in the month, I was introduced to an xml schema for Topic maps and had 
discussions about an xml TM schema model that was to be the basis of a 
Topic Map Engine in the works by Thomas Bandholtz in SchlumbergerSema. I 
later studied Martin Bryan's xml Schema for Topic Maps since it was similar 
to what we were doing in house and his explanation and examples  really 
helped me to understand the ISO 1350 Topic Map Specification better. At 
about this time, the call for participation went out for the Topic Map 
Published subjects Technical Committee and I became a member. I began 
seeing the importance of working in XTM as an interchange syntax, would 
like to promote the creation of legacy classifications in the XTM syntax.

Before my work at Schlumberger, I was technical editor for research paper 
submissions (Nature, Science, Cell, etc.) and research Biochemist for 
Hoffmann la Roche (contributed to  research which lead to the development 
of a drug to combat AIDS).

I am an American who has been in Japan for 15 years. I studied the Sogetsu 
School of Flower arrangement and have a license to teach. My husband is a 
University Professor, and I have a boy and a girl  in elementary school who 
keep me busy playing board games, legos, and raising strawberries, etc.

I look forward to working with all of you in the committee next week.

Best regards,
Mary