xml-dev - RE: Who will choose the winner?

["Hodder, Ed" <Ed.Hodder@Bowne.com>]

Here's my own experience, which is very fresh. 

First I went to websites, primarily XML.com. Then I ordered the books and
only afterward really started to look at documentation from W3C. Since I'm
coming fresh to XML the W3C docs are nearly useless. I need much more
background info and fast start help than they can deliver. I've always
looked to W3C for reference material, not educational guides. After reading
through the Schema Primer a little this may not be completely fair, but it's
the way I work.

The other day I was horsing around with Cold Fusion and DOM to display XML
data. I pulled down the W3C DOM level 1 spec but barely touched it, relying
instead on forum postings and some MS documents.

I've had a lot of opportunity to here about RELAX, etc, through the books
and mail lists like this one. The debates help and will heavily influecne my
own decisions. 

Ed Hodder


> My experience from dealing with readers suggests that 
> beginners start with
> a book on XML, effectively giving bookstores an important 
> portal status.
> Those books all tend to point to the W3C as the source for further
> information, especially when they cover specs in progress.  
> Vendors who
> have the money to pour money into giving away information on 
> XML as part of
> their overall tech support and marketing effort also tend to 
> point to the
> W3C - it's legitmizing for them, and they're members after all.