xml-dev - RE: More Stupid XML Articles

[Joshua Allen <joshuaa@microsoft.com>]

> <q>
> There are no universal vocabularies, so each XML promoter 
> just does things its own way.
> "Our way is the best!" The next company over, of course, is 
> doing XML differently. For a
> large company that subscribed to the methodology of company A 
> and spent millions of
> dollars to do so, it will be frustrating when, for some 
> unknown reason, the company B
> approach becomes universal and a true standard. Nobody knows 
> what to do about this. Death
> of simplicity.
> </q>
> 
> Please, tell me what do you mean saying  "I know what to do 
> about this" ?
> 


Well, I do not think that XML should be viewed as yet another tool to
clobber the whole world into speaking the same vocabulary.  To me, XML is
most appealing when you realize that it's impossible to get everyone to
speak the same language.  I can have five trading partners, all with
different vocabularies, but I can map into my own vocabulary.  Yes, I know
you could always map data before, but isn't it nice that we have such a nice
way to transform data (if it is XML) and so many great vendors building XML
interfaces into their various data stores?  The way I see it, there are many
vocabularies out there, and it's just going to get worse (game consoles,
handhelds, automobiles, home automation, etc.).  As more players pile into
this game it's going to be increasingly impossible for any strict agreement
on vocabulary to form.  If we want this industry to scale, we need to accept
the disagreements and work toward frameworks that tolerate differences and
are flexible to change.  That, to me, is the point of XML.

P.S. I also would hope Dvorak sees a difference between "methodology" and
"vocabulary".  People at least have an incentive to share business
vocabularies, and mapping is mostly useful when complete agreement on
vocabulary isn't reached.  On the other hand, businesses aren't going to
share their methodologies, let alone reach agreement on a common methodology
to follow.  Even IT practices are often seen as trade secrets..  XML is what
you pass back and forth, methodology is what you do with it.