RE: "Uh, what do I need this for" (was RE: XML.COM: How I Learne d to Love daBomb)

["Champion, Mike" <Mike.Champion@SoftwareAG-USA.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael Brennan [mailto:Michael_Brennan@allegis.com]
> Sent: Monday, August 20, 2001 10:02 PM
> To: 'Champion, Mike'; xml-dev
> Subject: RE: "Uh, what do I need this for" (was RE: XML.COM: How I
> Learne d t o Love daBomb)
>
> 
> WSDL was motivated by concrete experience with early SOAP 
> implementations.

Fair enough.  I guess it's pretty obvious that if you have an API, you
need an IDL to describe it.  Perhaps I was stretching the point a bit to
provide an explanation of what I think Edd had in mind.  My main objection
to the Web Services hype is the constant yammering (Yet Another Mania?
<grin>) about it being the universal elixir for what ails the computer
industry ... but (unlike Edd and Simon, I guess) I think there is a
significant technical reality behind SOAP, and to a lesser extent, UDDI and
WSDL.

That being as it may, I still strongly agree with what I take to be Edd's
main point: the internet mania may have been fueled by hype and greed, but
it was built on the solid foundation of 20 years experience with the
internet itself, 10+ years of experience with SGML, several years experience
with HTTP/HTML, and a hard core of people who had been using the basic
technologies in academic/military/research settings for some years. The W3C
looked awesome a few years ago when it could tap all that experience ... but
we've pretty much used up the intellectual capital that funded its early
successes.  Trying to re-create the magic by using the labor of huge working
groups and massive PR campaigns won't create a solid technological
foundation ...only experience can create it ... and the best way to gain the
experience is the incremental "what's the simplest thing we can do next that
meets the most important needs" approach. The hype giveth a demand for XML
products and skills, but the hype taketh away when irrational expectations
are not fufilled. 

Obligatory disclaimer ... I'm yapping and yammering my own line, not my
employer's or any of the W3C WG's foolish enough let me hang around.