Re: Since XML.Com is unbiased

[Matt Sergeant <matt@sergeant.org>]

On Fri, 2 Mar 2001, Dave Winer wrote:

> Edd, Since XML.Com is unbiased, how about linking to RSS 0.92?
>
> http://backend.userland.com/rss092
>
> And how about an unbiased review of it! ;->

OK here's my review of it:

 + Yay, you finally got rid of the pointless length limitations.
 - You make no mention of removing the character set limitation.
 + language is optional
 - it should probably be xml:lang anyway.

Other than that you seem to have added 4 new tags, two of which seem
sensible enough (source and category), while enclosure and cloud seem like
things with limited use, and pretty much designed for your own
applications, rather than some sort of general use. The <enclosure> for
example, defines a length attribute, which is possibly the worst idea I
have yet to see since RSS 0.91 (IMO). What is wrong with a HTTP HEAD
request? (and yes I've read the narrative use case, it still doesn't
really defend the idea). As for <cloud>, well, I'm not surprised any more
that you have gone against current work in the area of resource discovery.
*sigh*

All in all, it gains most people nothing. I for one have moved on to RSS
1.0, which by the use of namespaces has allowed me to build an entire
slashdot-like web site around the format, using standard vocabularies.
When I need an author on each item, I use dc:creator from the Dublin
Core. When I need a date, I can also use Dublin Core. For rich
descriptions I can use dc:description with an xhtml-basic content. For my
purposes, RSS 1.0 rocks. Note that none of these additions required me to
write a new spec.

Having said all this of course, it becomes apparent that I am in fact not
quite unbiased, as I do favour RSS 1.0. Of course I could ask you to do
the opposite: give us an unbiased review of RSS 1.0 :-)

-- 
<Matt/>

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