xml-dev - Re: interoperability (was Re: Obfuscating XML with namespaces)

[Dave Winer <dave@userland.com>]

>>Those who think it can be done without namespaces and schemas are the ones
putting the ring on their relationships customers

I think it can be done without XML, after all, until the late 90s there was
no such thing as XML. Somehow my emailer and yours can communicate with each
other. Further, I was able to switch from Eudora to Outlook Express. The
only problem was that I could never figure out how to move my archives into
Outlook Express. It's possible that there's a way to do it, and if there is,
I'm pretty sure XML wouldn't be involved, and certainly not namespaces or
schema.

Another case in point. Up until a few months ago I kept my calendar on a big
web portal. It was great because I could access it from the road, and people
who work for me could edit my schedule. But one day I went to my calendar
and it had been wiped out. No past, no future. And I didn't have a copy of
the calendar, so it was gone, completely. No help from the service operator.

One of these days the users are going to figure out that we, as an industry,
did nothing to protect their data.

This is the kind of stuff XML should be doing now.

What are we waiting for?

Dave