Re: XML - If there was any doubt . . .

Fuzzy and All:

You said:
> http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2777283-2,00.html
> This sends chills up my spine. The Evil Bill has decided we
> WILL be moving  to XML - PDQ.
>

Hey--Where do you get that "we" business???

Granted, a very large number of corporations, and/or large, interactive web
sites may move to XML sometime in the future. I say, "may"?? (Remember "push
technology" and a half a dozen others??)

BUT

This will only happen for those who decide for some reason, that they
actually need or want to use this technology. So far--other than a few
writers and columnists, it would seem that the main reaction to XML has been
a large yawn.

Sure--XML is another way to combine--in a broad sense--programming with
HTML. But first, you have to have a real NEED to do this. Without question,
XML is better than strawberries and whipped cream on pancakes ... But do we
all NEED it???

For most of the smaller KISS principle sites, there is "simply" no
compelling reason to use it. And very few are going to go to all this
trouble if there is no immediate gain to be derived from the effort.

Yes--there are those that feel they must become expert on every new proposed
technology that surfaces. But--to what end??

Do "all" of us need to know "all" about everything?? I would think not. It
is often a whole bunch cheaper to hire someone to do a little special
project than devote the time to learn--really learn--how to do everything.

Granted--by the time XML is, (if ever), really popular, Bill may just have
it built into FrontPage or some such. Unless he does, I would only give XML
a less than 50-50 chance of "taking over the world".

Remember all the other goodies that were praised to the heavens?? Things
like Java for example--first it boomed, then it kind of died out to where
now, only a relative few are using it.

Why?? I suppose everyone has their reasons, but to my eye, Sun was so busy
complaining about Microsoft, they forgot all about making it EASY for the
masses to use Java. And their biggest brag--that it would work with ALL
platforms--died a borning. Again because Sun was too busy making speeches to
make the effort to insure it's universal compatibility. As Bill said,
outside of Sun itself, Windows still offers the best Java support but any
given Java applet may still not work on both Windows and Mac platforms.

When all the "big boys" get through writing little proprietary snippets,
Will XML really be universal?? Already on this list, there are those
offering descent because Microsoft is advancing XML. But--Without that
advancement, XML will go nowhere. Corporations and software companies are
not going to spend the kind of money it will take to really kick this off
just because W3C has written a "standard" for it. Somebody has to promote it
and if not Microsoft--Who??

Now--as to Java--well, OK these days, a lot of people use JavaScript--even
Microsoft--but it is nowhere the same thing.

So "maybe" XML will really be something. Goodness knows it has the
potential. But I say again--I don't think the HTML world is going to rush to
pray at the alter of XML until Bill or someone else does a far better job of
explaining to the average Joe and Jane webmaster; how much it will better
their life. Then make it EASY for them to get on board.

Oh my gosh--I just realized I said something nice about Microsoft.
Quick--where's my asbestos suit??

Best wishes
Ted Temer
Temercraft Designs Redding, CA
temer(at)c-zone.net
www.temercraft.com/novels/
www.newsredding.com/
www.ramac-rc.org/

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