Re: XML Blueberry (non-ASCII name characters in Japan)

[Tom Bradford <bradford@dbxmlgroup.com>]

"Simon St.Laurent" wrote:
> None of these options seem particularly appealing.  The (not)
> always-delightful CIA World Factbook[1] claims that Khmer is the
> official language, spoken by about 95% of the population.  Does it seem
> reasonable to insist that those working with the markup understand
> markup in a foreign and potentially disliked language?

Two factors should make this decision for us:

- We've come quite a long way in the area of internationalization and
cross-cultural usability since the widespread adoption of the computer. 
We can only assume that we'll continue to rapidly progress toward the
point where people can use their computers solely in their native
tongue.  This will happen very soon.  I'd like to hope within the next
10-15 years.

- If XML, as a specification, is meant to be able to stand on its own
for 1000 years (as has been said), it had DAMNED better be able to
handle any character set you throw at it, including those that have yet
to be defined.  It's quite possible that at some point within the next
1000 years, as we progress toward a unified global society, that the
Romance languages will die a slow painful death.  Who can say?

Just my opinion... Maybe I'm crazy.
Oh wait...  Yes, I am.

-- 
Tom Bradford --- The dbXML Project --- http://www.dbxml.org/
Relational XML support?  I liked it more when it was a CLOB.