Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!ucsd!ucbvax!THUMPER.BELLCORE.COM!nsb From: nsb@THUMPER.BELLCORE.COM (Nathaniel Borenstein) Newsgroups: comp.mail.multi-media Subject: Re: Multi-media mail standards; Forw: Use of ODA in the Internet Message-ID: Date: 17 Aug 90 11:31:43 GMT References: <9008171018.AA04800@thumper.bellcore.com> Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Distribution: inet Organization: The Internet Lines: 17 I think that the amount of work that is necessary for each ODA extension (e.g. for spreadsheets) is indicative of its deepest problem as a standard -- its lack of programmability/extensibility. However, I agree, as I may not have made clear before, that ODA is the best starting point for such a standard, and I think it makes a certain amount of sense to frame the discussion, at least, in terms of "What makes ODA inadequate for a standard?" With luck, we might be able to outline ODA extensions that would make it suitable -- I certainly wouldn't rule this out. At the very least, it's an excellent starting point for such discussion. Perhaps the most important questions is, will it be possible for the "advanced" standard you mention to evolve from today's ODA? If not, it might be a bad idea to get too dependent on ODA now. I invite all parties interested in these issues to attend the Thursday workshop on multimedia data representation at the Zurich conference. -- Nathaniel