Project Tinker

Project Tinker is a plan to create the next generation of standards tools and processes. It consists of several independent tool components, a few policies, several documents, and one or more services.

What W3C has:

• members
• patent policy
• process document
• vast body of technical publications
• credibility

What W3C doesn't have:

• a cohesive system
• close integration of technologies

Project Tinker Components

• WOMP (W3C Object Model Presentation): object-structure/interface browsing tool, with wiki-like annotations, references to specific specs, examples, and tests (c.f., ObjJob, SVG 1.1 reference with examples Reference pages extracted from the W3C DTD and specification, with examples and image index. )
• Speki: wiki-based collaborative specification editing tool, with versioning, templates, code snippets, and authoritative reference linker (c.f., Speki)
• Normative Universal Glossary: a document containing definitions drawn from all related specs, which may be normatively referenced, and a process to update definitions in a cooperative and agile manner (c.f., W3C Glossary and Dictionary)
• Educational Validator: a validation tool based on NVDL and RelaxNG, which rates the conformance of a page, gives hints and tips to make it more conformant; it draws its output references from WOMP
• Annotation System: a tool which allows reviewers to directly mark up and comment on specs, automatically generating issues in Tracker and emailing the appropriate list (c.f., Annotea, Last Call Comments tracker)
• Uniform Semantic Style: a policy to use uniform markup code for all specs; a consistent "style and semantics guide" (c.f, W3C Manual of Style)
• WebIDL: a specification which defines a uniform IDL to be used for all appropriate specs (c.f., Language Bindings for DOM, WebIDL)
• Announcement Feed: a feed tool (a la Twitter or Identi.ca for all spec changes, available as IRC message, RSS feed, and maybe Jabber IMs
• Tracker: a tool to help groups track issues and actions on their specifications (c.f., Tracker, W3C Bug/Issue Tracking Service, Last Call Comments tracker)
• IRC Tools: bot tools to help accomplish common tasks, provide information updates, and log active channels with public or member logs (c.f., RRSAgent, trackbot, Zakim)
• Testy: a Test Suite template framework that can be used by implementors for easy integration into their own testing processes, and which allows users to easily create tests and generate a reference image, with a UI for review, comment, and approval (c.f., Mobile Test Harness)
• Community Test Policy: a simple policy for accepting tests from the community, which allows for reuse (c.f., Contribution Policy, Test Suite Licenses)
• Implementation Matrix: a comprehensive implementation matrix document for all features of W3C specs among major browsers and UAs
• Browser Conformance Certification: a service that helps working groups create comprehensive test suites, and tests implementations for conformance to particular specifications, funded by fees for vendor testing

Project Tinker Architecture

Use Cases and Requirements

Dramatis Personae:

• Editor Ed
• Editor Edna
• Implementor Ingrid
• Implementor Iggy
• Reviewer Remi
• Developer Devon
• Developer Darci
• User Ursula
• User Uwe
• Tester Ted
• Manager Mary

Use stories:

Editor Ed is writing a specification. He wants to .

Developer Darci .

Logistics

Incentives For Use by Groups:

• no need to write duplicate definitions
• vendors are much more likely to implement specifications that build on the same basic functionality
• provides comprehensive and consistent technology stack for authors and users
• community pressure to stay consistent in spec review process
• director pressure to publish integrated technologies

Project Tactics and Strategy:

• get buy-in from key groups on parts of Tinker
• get buy-in from Tim
• get community support for building and maintaining tools
• sell one piece at a time, not whole framework

Folks:

• Mike Smith
• Matt Womer
• Olivier Thereaux
• Sandro Hawke ?
• Kaz Ashimura ?
• Karl Dubost ?
• Gavin Kistner (creator of ObjJob)
• Jirka Kozec (co-creator of Relaxed Validator)
• Petre Nalevka (co-creator of Relaxed Validator)
• Aaron Fulkerson (MindTouch DekiWiki)