[Standards] certification etc.

[Rachel Blackman]

> When someone interacts with an application that is "XMPP  
> Intermediate 2008" compliant, that person knows the application  
> will support all the basic stuff plus whatever we defined in  
> XEP-0117 (MUC, chat states, and so on). Again, all of those are  
> required for XMPP Intermediate compliance.
>
> If we define other compliance levels -- Advanced, Mobile, Media,  
> Security, or whatever -- then those too will build on the lower  
> levels (though there may be "branches" here -- both Media and  
> Advanced may be layered on top of Intermediate or whatever).
>
> But it's not as if Basic is everything required, Intermediate is  
> everything recommended, and Advanced is everything optional. For  
> each level, what's defined in the relevant protocol suite will be  
> required.

I think the only reason for 'RECOMMENDED' elements in a compliance  
specification are because you expect them to become REQUIRED elements  
the next year.  If something's recommended, you should keep an eye on  
it and consider implementing it, but failing to do so doesn't lose  
you certification.  But it's sort of a heads-up that if it hits  
draft, it'll probably become a required part of that specification  
the next year.

Or, as *I* see it, implementing required elements gains you  
certification.  Implementing recommended elements is not /required/  
for certification, but should be done as it helps give those XEPs  
some actual coverage and testing, AND also gets you prepared for the  
next year's specifications.

So, maybe 'XMPP Advanced 2008' lists Jingle as a recommended element,  
but not required.  In 'XMPP Advanced 2009,' Jingle becomes required  
and the old file transfer is deprecated... tada, now it's required,  
and anyone who did the work in 2008 when it was merely recommended is  
ahead of the game.  Anyone else doesn't lose out in 2008  
certifications for not implementing it, but now they have to do the  
work for 2009.

-- 
Rachel Blackman <rcb at ceruleanstudios.com>
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