Forgive me if there is already a thread, but my searches produce no results.

With the coming patch, sword spec is going to change to yellow damage. This is quite probably a buff in every conceivable way. In order to know how to model it, several questions need to be answered. Now some of this information we can hopefully get from board moderators. Some of this we can verify through testing.

Let's start with what we know:
1. SS procs are yellow attacks
2. SS procs generate rage based on attack speed.
3. SS procs have no direct effect on swing timer.
4. SS procs can be procced from other special attacks AND regular swings.

1: What are the specifics of rage generation (which is to say):
a. Is damage done a factor in how much rage is generated (IE do bigger yellow hits generate more rage)? or even more generally:
b. What is the actual formula?

2. What is the behavior of these procs as yellow attacks.
a. Are they affected by impale? (probably safe to assume "yes")
b. Are they normalized? (this is a very big deal - they should NOT be normalized)
c. Can sword spec proc itself?
d. Does sword spec have a built-in, "hidden" cooldown?

I'll think of more as my brain sifts through its contents.

Know: The yellow hits don't glance (big buff)

Unknown: If the proc crits, does it sock the target with deep wounds? (likely to be yes)

Am I reading that right? 3003/131 = 22% proc chance?

Umm no? 131/3003 = 4% in the sample

Sword spec cannot proc of another proc, this was fixed a while back, cause it was a bit often to one-shot plate weareres with chain sword procs on procs.
It did not happen every day, but I had my share of these back with my Untamed hehe.

Sword spec does not seem to have any hidden cd either up to now.

What we know...:
1. SS procs are yellow attacks
2. SS procs generate rage based on attack speed.
3. SS procs have no direct effect on swing timer.
4. SS procs can be procced from other special attacks AND regular swings.
5. SS procs are not affected by impale
6. SS procs are not attack power normalized

...and what we don't know:
1: What are the specifics of rage generation (which is to say):
a. Is damage done a factor in how much rage is generated (IE do bigger yellow hits generate more rage)? or even more generally:
b. What is the actual formula?

2. What is the behavior of these procs as yellow attacks.
a. Can sword spec proc itself?
b. Does sword spec have a built-in, "hidden" cooldown?
c. Can a sword spec proc, activate another proc (besides flurry).
i. Deep Wounds.
ii. Windfury.
iii. Weapon procs.

My desire to discuss this has been renewed today, as I would like to discuss how I see this change to us. First of all, Blizzard claims it is an increase in net damage. Looking at the mechanics, I think we can find the ways in which this would be true. I was able to model previously the effect of sword spec on flurry, and I found that it did cause a loss of haste over time.

Ways that this is possibly a buff:
I. Sword Spec no longer causes a reset of the swing timer
A. Sword Spec no longer eats up flurry charges.

Ways that this is possibly a nerf:
II. Rage generation may possibly not scale with damage

The reason I stick on this topic is because on the little spreadsheet I've whipped up, I see sword spec as being heads and tails superior to any of the other weapon specs, hands down. I'm curious to find out if there is some factor I have not considered that would bring it back into line with the other weapon specs.

The reason sword spec used to reset your swing timer was because what it really did was setting the delay for your next white swing to zero, forcing it to happen at the time of the proc (if it was on a yellow attack). That obviously ate flurry charges. If they changed it to just add another attack, like windfury, it shouldn't eat charges. But I guess it's easy to test with a 2 hander.

I remember a while ago, a little before TBC came out, that sword spec was changed so that it did not proc off MS or WW anymore, but it still proc'd off hamstring/pummel. Was it changed back so that it would proc off MS or WW?

It did never change. It has always procced off MS and WW since the talent was created.