Events: IDPF Voting: Board Nomination

Dear fellow IDPF members,

I submit my nomination for election to the IDPF Board of Directors, and ask for your vote in the upcoming election.

Rather than go into long-winded “political” oratory that would make Daniel Webster proud (and which those of us in the U.S. will be bombarded with the next year!), let me point you to my online bio and then briefly discuss my qualifications and point out what I see is the most critical issue.

My Qualifications, briefly…
My long-time background (see my bio) as an independent ebook publisher, entrepreneur, technologist, standards developer, community builder, and advocate (including advocacy for accessibility, education and libraries) is undoubtedly the broadest of all the candidates.

And of course note that I have been involved with IDPF from the very beginning (1999) in technical standards work, including leadership roles.

My broad and independent background gives me a unique, holistic perspective which will benefit IDPF in making proper decisions that best benefit the growth and vibrancy of the digital publication industry. My experience in organizational governance, fiduciary, and other Board responsibilities also makes me eminently qualified to serve on the IDPF Board.

The Critical Issue — open industry standards
Clearly, the most important task IDPF needs to accomplish is to work diligently so the ebook industry fully embraces “EPub” and related open industry standards. Without open, uniform standardization, the industry will remain stunted of its true potential. Publishers will have higher production costs and reduced sales. Readers will be frustrated (and no industry wants frustrated consumers since it is their purchases which fuel the whole industry.) Innovation and entrepreneurship will be stifled, and accessibility will continue to be given a back seat.

The other Board candidates have written that we need to expand our open standards base with regards to interoperable DRM. I agree.

We also need to understand that the real power of the digital publication is in the advanced interactivity that may be enabled between the reader and content.

Thus, I propose IDPF work on open standards with regards to third-party intra- and inter-publication linking, annotation, and other forms of interactivity with digital publications. For annotation and linking I have been researching a single generalized standard which I will propose that IDPF work on in partnership with standards and trade organizations in other industries which may find this generalized standard useful.

I will be an independent voice and represent all IDPF members, large and small…

I will remain an independent voice in IDPF and will represent everyone equally, and not just a particular stakeholding group. The company I work with, DigitalPulp Publishing, philosophically shares my holistic view of the need for IDPF to foster a uniform playing field for all stakeholders in the digital publishing ecosystem, both large and small. In so doing, everyone benefits.

Thank you for your consideration of my candidacy. I look forward to serving you, and of course as a Board member my door will always be open for members to come in and voice their concerns and ideas.

Regards,

Jon Noring
VP of Development
DigitalPulp Publishing