[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message]

RE: No to RELAX-NG (for now)

• To: Murali Mani <mani@C...>
• Subject: RE: No to RELAX-NG (for now)
• From: "Bullard, Claude L (Len)" <clbullar@i...>
• Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 16:10:46 -0600
• Cc: xml-dev@l...

And when necessary, I'll buy that, Murali!

John Cowan tells me there is a fine DTD to RNG translator, 
so where equivalence is proven, it becomes a matter of 
ensuring a contract reflects that potential to address 
a well-stated necessity.  Still, we have to contend with 
investments in tools, education and clarity.  I add that 
last quality because of a statement I read on an application 
language design list where the author said that the W3C 
pages have come to resemble a mishmash of confusing tools 
and specs and ended by saying "who needs that".

Just a comment on why suddenly ISO comes to prominence 
again.   This is aligned with the notion of Internet Time. 
Organizations don't become stodgy because of age and 
time doesn't suddenly become compressed.  All that has 
happened is that one organization learned and mastered 
a communications medium that enables rapid messaging 
and exchange of artifacts.  That automatically speeds 
up a process as long as quality is accounted for.  Any 
small group with fewer authority nodes goes faster.  After 
that, training, talent, insight and luck account for the 
quality of the products.  So individuals always count. 
That said, individuals are accountable as well.  We 
should see information as the prize and our technologies 
as bottles we keep it in.   The bottles have to fit 
in the refrigerator and can't be too hard to open 
or close.  If RELAX NG fits better in your refrigerator, 
buy a gross.  But if someone else is using XML Schema 
and they have the room for it, it is not my business 
to tell them they could keep eggs there instead.

I welcome the ISO initiative to reconcile these 
overlapping tools.  I respect those who have proposed 
it and those who have signed up to do the work.  
All I ask is that unlike DVDs, CDs, VHS, and vinyl, 
I am not asked to buy yet another copy of All Along 
The Watchtower just to get the liner notes on the 
screen.  I'll only do that if the clarity is better 
and I really need dynamic fonts to fix presbyopic eyes.

Necessity:  real but often a local requirement.  The 
dilemma of standards is that they aren't supposed to 
be global solutions to local problems.

len

-----Original Message-----
From: Murali Mani [mailto:mani@C...]

Len, a very happy new year to you, and everyone again.

I like the way Len had put across his view points. However, I would say
that -- "Necessity is the mother of invention", and alternate schemas if
they exist, it is not because it is necessary to outdo others, rather
because they are necessary for our applications.

<warning>speaking for himself only<warning>

cheers and regards - murali.

• Follow-Ups:
  • RE: No to RELAX-NG (for now)
    • From: Murali Mani <mani@C...>

• Prev by Date: Re: The use of XML syntax in XML Query
• Next by Date: Re: The use of XML syntax in XML Query
• Previous by thread: RE: No to RELAX-NG (for now)
• Next by thread: RE: No to RELAX-NG (for now)
• Index(es):
  • Date
  • Thread