The PAD - More about the PAD

Description 3 - more about the PAD process

Input and output

A PAD group need not be a closed group. It doesn't have to be only your own ideas that you add to the PAD. In fact, you are encouraged to get input from people outside the group and if they want to see how your work is progressing, let them. Remember though that it is your work and outsiders cannot demand that you modify anything. If a person is very eager to help, the representative may, after having consulted the other members, decide to invite them to join the group. Please note guidelines on

group size

PAD groups may also be kept together (subject to the consent of participants) for the duration of more than one document's creation, should it be felt necessary to produce additional documents. Group members should not feel forced to continue. Should any feel they can no longer participate, they should inform the representative. They should then contact the PAD organiser and decide what should happen to the group.

Who should use the PAD?

While the PAD is intended as a simple system for allowing ideas to be formalised without too much formal structure, working groups are welcome to use this format where they find it helpful. The format may also be used when creating other works - design diagrams, web site, even source code - but please note that this is a use beyond the original design and so all problems that may be encountered are not our fault!

Timescale

Exactly how long it takes to complete a PAD cannot be said, it depends on the subject and the effort of the group members. As for one revision, one week to one month could be considered as normal. If a person takes too long doing their revision, the group may decide to let the next in turn continue instead. If this is repeated several times, consider erasing their name from the queue. Wherever possible, this should be done in consultation with the complete group. Should group relations fail, the PAD organiser should be consulted.

If the draft is unused

It's a possibility that a draft PAD is so bad that it serves no purpose, not even as a useful starting point for discussion. If someone feels that a draft PAD isn't worth discussing, they have the right to demand a rewrite.

The PAD should be made available to everyone in the group, whether it is their turn or not, and the group should decide whether the draft as it stands is usable. If a majority decide the document is unusable, they can either elect a new author to make a fresh draft or force the existing author to present a new draft. If the majority feel it is usable, but more than one person has considered the draft unusable, the current author should prepare a re-draft.

If the group is disbanded

If the group for some reason can't continue to function, for example if you don't succeed in creating an acceptable draft, or if too many members leaves the group, please don't simply discard your work. Instead, make sure that the PAD organiser as well as all group members knows what is going on. It's important that nobody is left in the dark.

Then, the topic discussed in the PAD is considered to be open information, so the PAD organiser will hand it over to another PAD group to evaluate. However, if the group consider the topic as a dead-end, due to it being useless and not worth discussing further, or the problem being unsolvable in theory or in practice, let the PAD organiser know this. Such topics should ideally not be discarded entirely, though, as another group may feel differentely and be able to make use of the document at a later date.

The fate of the drafts however is entirely in your hands. The PAD organiser will ask you to release them - or at least the latest one - to the public, so that they may be evaluated by other groups and perhaps even serve as a foundation for continued work. Although you aren't in any way forced to, we strongly recommmend that you give your permission to this. Perhaps you consider it to be of little value, but even small efforts may prove to be valuable.

Legal

While being created, the document is the property of the group collectively. No one member has power of veto over publication of the document or any part of it. The document may, however, be withdrawn at any stage subject to the consent of all who have worked on the document at any stage in its creation.

When the document has been submitted to the PAD organiser as complete, it becomes exclusive property of KOSH. At their option, KOSH may award payment in the form of virtual credits and / or red shares, but are in no way obliged to.

KOSH is unwilling to accept a PAD or work towards a PAD from anyone who will not consent to these terms. Before joining a group in any capacity, please mail the PAD organiser to indicate your acceptance of these terms.

While a PAD becomes the exclusive property of KOSH, KOSH must acknowledge the authors of a particular version of the PAD whenever such a document is presented in full.

Description 3 - more about the PAD process

Input and output

Who should use the PAD?

Timescale

If the draft is unused

If the group is disbanded

Legal