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Announcement of a Beta Test of the OSF SGML DTDs
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The Open Software Foundation (OSF) has created two SGML DTDs, one for
reference pages (aka, manpages) and one for computer technical manuals.
During this coming year, OSF will finalize these DTDs and begin the
migration to SGML of current OSF documentation, including that for
OSF/Motif, the OSF Distributed Computing Environment (OSF DCE), and the
OSF/1 Operating System (OSF/Motif, OSF DCE, and OSF/1 are trademarks of
the Open Software Foundation).  You may have seen the current OSF
books, as published by Prentice-Hall, in your favorite technical
bookstore.

The osf-book and osf-refpage DTDs are the result of a collaboration
between OSF member companies, independent SGML experts, and OSF staff,
and represent the knowledge gained from a long-term, in-depth study of
the OSF documentation model and its requirements.  These DTDs will
allow OSF to continue to support traditional paper publishing, and will
also provide mechanisms for on-line and hypermedia access.

As part of the DTD review process, OSF will conduct a Beta test of these
DTDs.  The goal of the Beta test is to find and resolve remaining
problems in the DTDs.  The primary focus is to have writers use the
DTDs to create new documents, and/or perform trial migrations of
existing documents.  We hope that this will uncover structural and/or
completeness deficiencies in the DTDs, and will also uncover significant
usability problems.  Further, we hope that the use of the OSF DTDs in 
diverse locations will flush out any problems with interchanging document
instances.

The Beta is not limited to only writers, and we encourage SGML experts
to analyze and comment on the DTDs.

OSF solicits the involvement of anyone who would like to view, use, and
comment on the OSF DTDs during the Beta test period.  A brief schedule
of Beta milestones:

   1/20/93	the Beta Test announcement is sent

		OSF collects responses from interested participants

   2/12/93	DTDs, supporting documents, and Beta Test materials
		sent to participants

   2/22/93	The Beta Test period starts

   4/14/93	The Beta Test Period ends

   5/5/93	The final DTDs, incorporating improvements based on the
		Beta Test, are finalized and published

As a Beta Test participant, you will receive the OSF DTDs, supporting
documents, and Beta Test materials on February 12, 1993.  You will be
expected to make the DTDs available to writers and other reviewers
(presumably through your chosen SGML authoring systems), answer the
questionnaire that OSF will provide as part of the Beta Test materials,
and provide completed questionnaires and other feedback to OSF by the
end of the Beta Test Period (4/14/93).

What to Do Now
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For now, all you need to do to be part of the Beta Test is to send a
letter of intent, either electronically or through the US Mail, to:

    Carl Scholz
    Open Software Foundation
    11 Cambridge Center
    Cambridge, MA 02142

    scholz@osf.org

    617-621-8996

OSF should receive your letter before the end of the business day,
February 5, 1993.

Any additional questions should be addressed to Carl Scholz.

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