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Re: Excellent Insight on Standards Development vs Invention

• To: "xml-dev@l..." <xml-dev@l...>
• Subject: Re: Excellent Insight on Standards Development vs Invention
• From: Bill de hÓra <bill.dehora@p...>
• Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 15:25:09 +0000
• In-reply-to: <Pine.LNX.4.44L0.0411121905490.13170-100000@s...>
• References: <Pine.LNX.4.44L0.0411121905490.13170-100000@s...>
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Rich Salz wrote:

>>compare RSS->Atom to SGML->XML. Trying to fix the problems with RSS by
>>inventing Atom isn't analogous to fixing SGML by inventing XML, its more
>>like fixing XML 1.0 by inventing XML 1.1
> 
> 
> Oh man, that's a great quip. 

The best quips have an element of truth.

Syndication has a number of problems, running a format through the 
IETF is not one of them. There are technical problems as things 
stand, but the most important problems are with people. The 
atmosphere in the syndication technology world is markedly 
poisonous. Worse is the implicit assumption that this is good 
enough, or even acceptable. This is unfortunate. The fact of the 
matter is that global infrastructure well beyond the scope of 
blogging is attempting to evolve on top of syndication formats and 
none of the formats are up to it.

cheers
Bill


PS: as we're talking about insight,  what Roy Fielding said recently 
on atom-syntax is just about the most insightful thing I've read in 
ages:

"Collaboration requires that those involved be working towards a 
common goal, even if there is disagreement on how best to get there. 
  Folks who disagree with the goal itself should argue outside the 
working group, not within.

I see no reason to tolerate harbingers of doom unless they are being 
constructive. If there is a hole, plug it. If there is a missing 
feature, describe it. If there is a bug, squash it. Collaboration 
isn't hard once people agree to be constructive."

• References:
  • RE: Excellent Insight on Standards Development vs Invention
    • From: Rich Salz <rsalz@d...>

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