From Revising W3C Process Community Group
6.9 Obsoleting or Rescinding a W3C Recommendation
-------------
I think some of the terminology could be simplified.
* I suggest using the word "Restore" when referring to undoing
a previous decision to rescind or obsolete a Rec.
* I suggest avoiding "obsoletion" and "rescindment"; see
concrete suggestions below.
-------------
"W3C may rescind a Recommendation, for example ..."
"W3C may obsolete a Recommendation, for example "
Please start with an introductory sentence to frame the
discussion.
Proposed:
"From time to time, W3C may find it necessary to undo a
Recommendation. W3C uses a similar process but different
terminology to distinguish the severity of new advice
- "Rescinded Recommendation": W3C no longer recommends
this technology and is extremely unlikely to restore it.
- "Obsoleted Recommendation": W3C no longer recommends
this technology but there is a reasonable chance W3C
could restore it.
W3C might rescind a Recommendation when:
* W3C concludes it contains many errors that conflict with a later
version, or
* W3C discovers burdensome patent claims that affect implementers
and cannot be resolved; see the W3C Patent Policy [PUB33] and
in particular section 5 (bullet 10) and section 7.5.
W3C might obsolete a Recommendation when:
* W3C concludes it no longer represents best practices, or
* Industry has not adopted the technology and future
adoption seems unlikely."
-------------
Proposed: Change
"Obsoletion may be reversed, using the same process as for
obsoleting a Recommendation, if for example a specification
is later more broadly adopted."
to:
"W3C uses the same process for obsoleting or restoring a
Recommendation."
Note that you don't need to talk about the scenario since that's
already listed earlier.
-------------
Proposed: Change
"The Director must begin a review of a proposal to obsolete,
un-obsolete or rescind a Recommendation when requested to do
so by any of the following:"
to:
"The Director MUST begin a review of a proposal to obsolete,
rescind, or restore a Recommendation when requested to do so
by any of the following:"
-------------
Proposed: Change
"Any individual who made a request to the relevant Working
Group as described above, or the TAG if such a group does not
exist, to consider a Recommendation for obsoletion or
rescindment, whose request was not answered within 90 days"
to:
"Any individual who made a request to the relevant Working
Group as described above, or to the TAG if no such group
exists, to obsolete or rescind a Recommendation,
whose request was not answered within 90 days"
-------------
Proposed: Change
"indicate that this is a proposal to Rescind, Obsolete, or
reverse the Obsoletion of, a Recommendation"
to:
"indicate that this is a proposal to Rescind, Obsolete, or
Restore a Recommendation"
-------------
Proposed: Change
"For any review of a proposal to obsolete or rescind a
Recommendation the Director must:"
to:
"For any review of a proposal to obsolete, rescind, or
restore a Recommendation the Director MUST:"
Timeless: the "must" must be a RFC 2119 MUST
Proposed: Change
"publish a rationale for rescinding the Recommendation."
to:
"publish rationale for the proposal"
(Since this process could be about obsolete and restore, too)
All Accepted, at least in principle
