Curriculum Vitae of Steven J. DeRose: Standards Work

Last updated 2008-02-21.

My professional work is mainly with electronic information. As with 2x4s, power plugs, shoe sizes, and much else, standards in this area can vastly decrease cost and increase efficiency. Since the Web is world-wide and used by people with hugely varying interests, equipment, and skills, basic standards are crucial to making the whole thing work. My colleague Allen Renear has called the sort of work we do "building the tunnels under Disneyland(r)". It can be awfully messy work, but when it is done well, the result can be almost magical.

Here are some of the standards I've worked on extensively:

XML-related standards

XML. I think I can justly claim most of the credit or blame for the XML empty-element syntax: <br/>, in part through the "stupid NET trick" that makes this syntax actually SGML-compatible.
XPath (co-editor)
XLink (co-editor)
XPointer Framework (co-editor through most of its development)
XPointer element() scheme (co-editor through most of its development)
XPointer xmlns() scheme
XPointer xpointer() scheme (co-editor)
XML Namespaces
XML Base
XML Inclusions

Open Scripture Information Standard™ or OSIS™

I currently chair the Bible Technologies Group, a joint effort of the Society of Biblical Literature and the American Bible Society. BTG develops standards, tools, and texts to support online use of the Bible for scholarly, devotional, and many other purposes.

Other standards

The Text Encoding Initiative. Chair of the Hypermedia/Linking Group, member of the Text Representation Committee, sometime North American editor./li>

SGML Fragment Interchange. Originator and co-editor.

Open eBook, especially the manifest or package file (co-editor)

HyTime

Encoded Archival Description

Rainbow

I've also been involved to a lesser extent in SGML, DSSSL, HTML 4, ISO 12083, DocBook, MID, AAP, and others.

Back to home page of Steve DeRose or The Bible Technologies Group. or The Bible Technologies Group Working Groups. Or, contact me via email (fix the punctuation).