[X3D-Public] X3D Working Group Open Discussion Policy

[Don Brutzman]

The Web3D Consortium is happy to announce that X3D Working Group
activities, by default, are now open to the public community.

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X3D Working Group goes Open:

The Web3D Consortium is proud to announce that the X3D Working Group
is becoming more open.  By default, technology discussions and
meetings will now be conducted publicly so that the widest possible
comment and reaction can be considered from the X3D Community.
Meanwhile Web3D Members still retain important membership rights
of proposing significant new technology and considering patented
technologies within a "safe haven" prior to public release.
Many new capabilities are being considered for X3D version 3.3,
so this is exciting!  Feedback from the public (and you) helps
X3D quickly and stably adopt new technologies to provide ongoing
archival value for all 3D graphics.

Many new Web3D capabilities are becoming available.  There has
been no better time to discuss X3D technologies and also join
the Web3D Consortium.  We look forward to your participation.

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_X3D Working Group Open Discussion Policy_

Web3D Consortium membership includes the important privilege
of proposing significant new functionality for X3D, along with
assertions regarding royalty-free availability for public use.
This is an important protection that keeps the X3D Graphics
Standard safe for long-term use without any licensing restrictions.

Web3D Consortium members are eager to encourage the broadest
possible public participation.  Therefore X3D group work is now
open by default.  The vast majority of X3D Working Group discussions
will be performed in public.  Open channels include the
x3d-public at web3d.org mailing list, X3D public wiki, the
web3d.org website, weekly meeting minutes, conference presentations
and press releases.  Access to the Web3D teleconference lines
is provided to non-members upon request.

Some parts of the working group efforts can still remain private.
Members who propose new nodes or new components for the X3D Standard
must choose in advance how X3D group discussion, implementation
and evaluation will proceed.  Two good choices are available:
open public review, or else the private "safe haven" of member-only
review prior to eventual public review.

The first fully open approach is usually our preferred way to work.
Members are asked to make all materials public for new submissions.
The second "safe haven" approach can be useful when a company is
considering the appropriate release of major intellectual property
assets for X3D, but wants a members-only confidential review before
committing to unrestricted public discussion.  In each case, the
Web3D Consortium By-Laws ensure that each submission includes a
commitment to eventual public release if accepted for inclusion
in the X3D Standard.  http://web3d.org/about/ip

Private member-only developments are carefully discussed and reported
separately from default public topics.   Member-only minutes
might note new points or additional considerations, but do not
modify or change any publicly released X3D group minutes.

Public community review prior to final specification approval
has always been a hallmark of X3D openness. Public scrutiny,
discussion and feedback has always added significant value and
strength to X3D capabilities.  Indeed the Virtual Reality Modeling
Language (VRML), Humanoid Animation (H-Anim) and X3D Graphics
specifications would not exist without the energetic efforts and
contributions of many individuals in the 3D graphics community.

The X3D Working Group values and encourages active participation
by the public.  Interested individuals are welcome to help Web3D
Consortium members bring the full range of interactive 3D graphics
capabilities and coolness to the World Wide Web.

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Comments and discussion are welcome of course, especially since we
are open!

Special thanks to Len Daly, Anita Havele, Dick Puk, Joe Williams
and Nick Polys who helped develop this balanced new policy.

Thanks to everyone who has helped contribute to X3D.  Looking forward
to seeing many of you at the Web3D Conference and SIGGRAPH this week.

all the best, Don
-- 
Don Brutzman  Naval Postgraduate School, Code USW/Br      brutzman at nps.edu
Watkins 270   MOVES Institute, Monterey CA 93943-5000 USA  +1.831.656.2149
X3D, virtual worlds, underwater robots     http://faculty.nps.edu/brutzman