Microsoft on XML

I thought you all would be interested in part of an email letter about XML from Steve Ballmer of Microsoft. 

"...  Today we recognize that our decisions have an impact on many other technology companies. We have an important leadership role to play in our industry, and we must play by new rules - both legally and as determined by industry trends. (new paragraph) For example, we recognize that we need to support industry cooperation in new and creative ways, as we're doing in the development of standards based on eXtensible Markup Language, or XML. The entire industry has embraced XML as the universal way for computers to talk to each other in a much richer way across the World Wide Web. Today companies like Microsoft and IBM collaborate on enhancing XML-based standards while at the same time competing to make innovative, easy-to-use software that helps customers take advantage of the power of XML.  ..."

I signed up for the "occasional emails from me [Steve Ballmer], Bill Gates and other Microsoft executives on important technology and public-policy topics". (No I don't know where to go to sign up for the e-mails.)  Posting this snippit was for informational purposes ABOUT XML only.  I do NOT intend to start a huge dialog about Microsoft, their marketing, and whether they are telling the truth or not.  If you want to see the whole letter then email me off-list in the next day and I'll forward a copy to you.  The part I copied is the only part dealing with XML.  

Pam Ammond