[fitsbits] Approval of language-edited FITS Standard document 4.0

[Lucio Chiappetti]

I inform the FITS community that the FITS Special Expert Group (FITS SEG) 
of the IAU Data Representation WG (DRWG) has conducted (between July 20 
and August 12) a procedural vote (with the rules of the former IAU FITS 
WG) to approve the language-edited FITS Standard document 4.0 (prepared by 
Malcolm Currie and myself from the approved version of July 2016 - 
technical content unchanged).

19 out of 21 members of the FITS SEG cast a vote, and all 19 votes were 
"yes", therefore, the language-edited version is the valid official 
version of the FITS Standard document (4.0).

Such version will be put online on the usual FITS Support Office website 
in the next few days.

An advance version of the document is provisionally available from a 
working page providing some detail on the language editing process 
http://sax.iasf-milano.inaf.it/~lucio/FITS/Conventions/languageediting.html


I STRESS THAT THE LANGUAGE-EDITED VERSION DID NOT ALTER OR ADD ANY 
TECHNICAL PRESCRIPTION W.R.T. THE VERSION APPROVED IN 2016.

The edits are summarized in Appendix H.4 of the document itself. They 
include consistent word capitalization, hyphenation, punctuation 
(particularly commas), small numbers in letters, minor rewording, 
consistent use of italics and typewriter fonts, as well as some edits 
which are not necessarily apparent in the printed version, but involve 
consistent use of LaTeX macros (for instance to indicate keyword names and 
values, or RFC 2119 shall, should, etc. obligations). For the latter the 
preamble of the LaTeX source contains (as LaTeX comments) a "guide for 
future authors".

We hope that this version represents a clearer reference for FITS users 
and allows an easier maintenance for future changes.

-- 
Lucio Chiappetti - INAF/IASF - via Bassini 15 - I-20133 Milano (Italy)
Acting IAU DRWG and FITS SEG Chair