[MPEG-OTSPEC] near-term OT spec work

[Caleb Maclennan]

On Sat, Oct 3, 2020 at 1:23 AM MURATA Makoto <eb2m-mrt at asahi-net.or.jp> wrote:
> I think that synchronization with OT should not be mentioned in
> this AHG.

Why not? It seems quite relevant to me. Even if I don't *like* the
current process and the black-box stages it involves, the current
defacto way the MOFF (MPEG Open Font Format) spec actually gets
updated is through tracking changes to MSOT (Microsoft OpenType).
They are still (rightfully) in a position to do whatever they want
with their own spec for internal use and pragmatically speaking the
most effective way we have to get things fixed in OFF is by appealing
to M$ as a benevolant dictator that can actually change their own
spec and pretty significant weight to get their changes rubber
stamped into OFF (since keeping them in sync is kind of the deal).

However bad this state of affairs is and however silly it is for M$
to try to keep their cake and eat it too — as long as this is the
state of things I'd much rather hear about work they are doing
internally on their MSOT spec through this AHG than have the topic
be made off limits. The inevitable result of that would be for the
entire end-to-end process to happen in closed groups that many in
the industry don't have access to even audit!

In short it seems very relevant to me for the sync process from
MSOT→OFF to be mentioned in this AHG list. Even if some of the
steps are still off limits to plebians, the fact that some of the
steps are closed doesn't seem like a good reason to close off all
of the process.

Why do you think the OT→OFF synchronization that is both currently
and historically a significant part of what the OFF is should be
off limits for disccussion in this AHG?

Caleb