The Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) builds content reuse into the authoring process, defining an XML architecture for designing, writing, managing, and publishing many kinds of information in print and on the Web.

The DITA OASIS Standard is provided and used as an open community activity. The standard is advanced through an open process by the OASIS DITA Technical Committee, a group that encourages new participation from developers and users.

In the spirit of the open community, "DITA User Groups" (DUGs) or "DITA Special Interest Groups" (DIGs) are spreading worldwide, to facilitate knowledge sharing among users in specific geographic areas or among those with similar interests. Such groups are there to help those just thinking of starting with DITA through to those with advanced DITA needs or interest in evolving the DITA architecture.

We would like to start a UK-based DITA User Group, to share experiences with DITA throughout the UK - by Web, forum/wiki/blogs, meetings, education/discussion/demonstration sessions, and whatever the user group feels will help with DITA.

If you are interested in a DITA User's Group for the UK, please contact ian_larner@uk.ibm.com. [I work at IBM United Kingdom Limited, near Winchester.] If you are based outside the UK mainland, but still interested, please also contact me.