While in lock-down, I took the time to write down a little post for Schematron.com called "The Goals of XML at 25: and the one change that XML really now needs"  which people interested in the past and future of XML may find familiar but not irrelevant.

Key passage, or twist:

"For several decades I have dabbled with methods to speed up parsing UTF-8 and XML using SIMD and parallel parsing: my conclusion is that the approach I am suggesting here is the only feasible way for XML to not be sidelined as slow and complex. I think the lack of papers and experience demonstrating otherwise indicates it too.)"

Regards

Rick

(Here in Sydney we are in lockdown again, after an exiled year of almost no cases, Delta broke through, and we are trying to eliminate it. Taiwan successfully eliminated it this month, so maybe we will: elimination is a feasible strategy on islands, rather than just suppression. I get my 2nd vaccine tomorrow.)