[sc34wg3] what's the most basic issue?

[Steven R. Newcomb]

> * Steven R. Newcomb
> | 
> | Instead of volunteering what *I* think (something I
> | have probably done too much), I'd like to ask a
> | problem-solving, consensus-seeking question:
> | 
> | "What's the most *basic* issue that divides us?"

[Lars Marius Garshol:]

> Good call, I'd say. We've been discussing several
> things that depend on the issue of what the role of
> the RM is, but I feel we haven't settled that.  As
> far as I can tell, *that* is the most basic issue.

I'm willing to start there, if everyone else is.  It
begs the question: what are the various positions on
this issue?  It would be good to understand what they
are, exactly.

How do you feel about the idea of each of us outlining
our own positions?  The purpose of this exercise would
be *only* to allow all of us to put our agendas on the
table; it would not decide anything, and our positions
must not be phrased as arguments against what we
believe to be the position of any other.  We must only
speak for ourselves, letting others speak for
themselves.  

We might then be able to perceive the emergence of
underlying issues, about which we can again expose our
principles -- digging deeper.

The essence of what I'm proposing is: keep digging
deeper (always deeper) until we agree that we don't
need to dig any deeper -- that we've found our "floor"
-- and that we now know how to tunnel our way back
upward, together, to the place where we want to emerge
into the light, together.

This process may be time-consuming.  It will probably
require some serious and open-minded introspection.  It
may well lead to a public mutual examination and
evaluation of our personal goals and beliefs, which may
be difficult for each of us, personally -- kind of like
acting in a nude scene in a movie.  So I guess one good
question, at this point, is:

  "What is each of us willing to sacrifice on the altar
   of the Goddess of Consensus, in order to propitiate
   her for the welfare and benefit of the Topic Maps
   International Standard?"

If we are willing to do this exercise, then we accept
that it might not be easy, fast, or painless.  In this
exercise, the person who sincerely says, "Let's dig
deeper" is always right; the person who says, "I'm sick
of this; this is absurd," is always the one who is
abandoning the effort to achieve consensus.  It's an
exercise for long-distance runners.  (I wouldn't
suggest this exercise, were it not for the fact that
we're all proven long-distance runners.)

-- Steve

Steven R. Newcomb, Consultant
srn@coolheads.com

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