Ipseity

This is a proposed data model that I’ve been working on in the context of an ISO/IEC e-learning standards workgroup. Such proposals and drafts are not generally posted publically, here goes.

Here’s the scope statement:

This standard provides a data model for the interchange of communicative and related information generated through the set-up and use of text-based, synchronous (chat) and a-synchronous (discussion) communication technologies. This data model would allow communication forum contributions and their attributes to be represented in a vendor-independent format for interchange, storage, retrieval or analysis by a variety of systems. It would accomplish the same thing for the set-up and design of these communication forums, representing the names, access conditions and other parameters for chat rooms or discussion forums.

The purpose of this data model is to allow data generated in one chat or discussion system to be utilized in another chat or discussion system. Typically this data would not be exchanged from a system of one type (e.g. synchronous chat) to a system of another type (e.g. asynchronous discussion). Also, this data would typically not be exchanged between systems while a discussion or chat is being conducted; this standard does not currently define an API or other mechanism that would allow users to access and control data and behaviours in two systems simultaneously.