To: J3                                                     J3/14-131
From: Dan Nagle
Subject: PL22 Straw Vote to disband WG23
Date: 2014 February 13

In reply to the Straw Poll currently underway on the question
of the proposal, quoted here:

"Propose that SC22 conduct a letter ballot among the members of SC22:

Recognizing that SC 22/WG 23 has completed its mission
in outstanding fashion and expressing gratitude to WG23 participants
for their important work (in particular its Convener John Benito and
its Secretariat James Moore), SC 22 disbands WG 23."

We make the following comments:

We do not understand how WG23 can be said to have completed its mission
since there is a revision of its TS 24772 left unpublished, and
that revision contains an annex contributed by WG5.  This annex
represents the efforts of several delegates to WG5 from various
countries, and, we feel, should not be lost.  We will not be happy
to publish the Fortran annex as a separate document, since part of WG23s
mission was to promote choice of language, which requires comparison.
Such comparison is best facilitated by having as many languages listed
in one document as possible.

Furthermore, in the current draft of the next revision of 24772, N0461,
there is a Claus 8, New Vulnerabilities, which lists vulnerabilities
for inclusion in the next revision of the document.
Thus, clearly, there is unfinished business.

We remark that disbanding WG23 now, with such obviously unfinished
business in progress, amounts to a surprising after-the-fact imposition
of a deadline.  This after-the-fact deadline was, perforce, neither
announced, nor any hint given beforehand.  Thus, on grounds of due
process, we find this disbanding objectionable.

We conclude by asking that no motion be made to disband WG23 until
it has a realistic chance to actually finish it work, at least
documents now in progress, and adequate notice is given of its disbanding.