Caveat Lector

Well, this is one of the awkwarder positions I’ve found myself in. And I suspect it’s one that won’t lend itself to the usual length of a single CavLec blog entry. So be it, I suppose… I can always write more than one.

This post had better carry all the disclaimers and all the history. Off I go, then.

David Rothman has called twice recently for an end to the Open eBook Forum. I’ve got my own opinions on that, and me being me, you’re all going to be subjected to them. But first…

I started working with the OEBF on the OEB Publication Structure in May 2000, when the OEBF formally incorporated. I was at the time working for Impressions Book and Journal Services, which became an OEBF member and paid for my time and travel expenses as I did OEBF work. I was in short order chosen scribe to the Publication Structure working group, and in that capacity I edited the 1.0.1 release of the Publication Structure.

I left Impressions in May 2001 intending to make a go of TAG, but Steve Potash of OverDrive hired me instead. I worked for OverDrive until March 2002. Steve came within a millimeter of firing me once, but in the end I walked under my own power. TAG had to wait, though, owing to a non-compete agreement signed with OverDrive which I honored to the letter.

I could not, however, make time to continue with the OEBF after leaving OverDrive—and certainly I didn’t have travel money. Truth be told, too, I wasn’t happy with where I saw the organization going, or with what looked like (and in hindsight was) a general disengagement on PubStruct. We just weren’t accomplishing anything. I resigned as PubStruct scribe.

Take all this into consideration while you read. Myself, I have not yet read any reactions to Rothman’s articles (though they got a Slashdot mention yesterday), nor have I spoken with anyone associated (now or since) with the OEBF, OverDrive, or Impressions about them. (Jon Noring alerted me to the articles’ existence, but only with a bare notification—he said nothing other than that, nor did I.)

Whatever I say, it’s just me saying it. I don’t speak for any person or organization but myself and TAG, and any agendas I have I’m doing my best not to hide. I may, in fact, get in trouble for opening my mouth on this—but so be it; openness is more important.

So that’s where I’m writing from.