xml-dev - Re: Web Architecture

[Robert La Quey <robertl1@home.com>]

At 11:30 PM 11/29/99 -0500, you wrote:
>From: Clark C. Evans <clark.evans@manhattanproject.com>
>
>>>... And further, that having a single
>> > low level data model i.e. SML is the "Good Thing". It is almost
>> > the same story as that of Copernicus and Ptolemy, and we know who
>> > got that right.
>>
>> Robert,
>>
>> Could you dive in two further detail here... this last
>> part went over my head a bit.
>>
>> ;) Clark
>>
>
>Copernicus published a massive book advocating that all the planets,
>including the Earth, traveled around the sun.  The previous gold standard,
>Ptolemy's, had everything going around the earth with complex
>circles-on-circles to make the orbits look more or less right.  It's
>interesting, in the context of SML, that Copernicus actually came up with a
>MORE complex system with MORE circles-on-circles, and it wasn't really more
>accurate either.  

A correct statement of the facts. A good review. 

>The book was unreadable, and only Kepler was interested.

Better say, the book was only readable by Keppler. An important distinction
which made a difference.  

>Without him, it wouldn't have gone anywhere.  Kepler got rid of the
>complexity, discovered elliptical orbits, and even got better predictions.
>

Correct ... but without Copernicus insight Keppler might not have ever made 
any sense of Tycho Brahe's data. 

Two ancient truths had to fall: 1) the earth is the center of the universe
and 2) circles are the perfect form.  Copernicus got the first one, Keppler 
the second. 

>Judging from some of the posts, maybe their authors think that the  XML WG
>is like Copernicus and that Don, with SML, is more like Kepler???

Yes, nice point, so we might say:

SGML:XML:SML <=> Ptolemy:Copernicus:Kepler

><sorry reason="off topic"/>

No reason to be sorry. Not really off topic. Thanks for improving on the 
original statement. Historical understanding of the great shifts in paradigms 
is the most pragmatic of understandings. Even the Cowardly Lion knows that. 

We shall get back to the nuts and bolts though if that is all this list will 
tolerate. 

In this vein, perhaps it is time to explore a cut down expat that defines SML 
by that most wonderfully pragmatic of means, i.e. SML is that variant of XML
which goes thru this specific code. Open source is wonderful as Saint IGNUcius
and Linus Torvalds have shown. 

expat is GPL right? We can all look at and modify the code. Beautiful
code too. I say why not try a little sexpat ;) That should save us from the 
threat of being perceived as Philosophers when we are in fact Simpletons. 


Bob La Quey

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