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At 09:38 AM 8/17/2002 -0400, Simon St.Laurent wrote:
>I keep thinking about these divisions between what XLink does (define
>the existence of a relationship between resources) and what it doesn't
>do (provide much guidance on if/when/how to use it).
Unlike some, I've always been a fan of XLink providing guidance on
if, when and how to use it.....that said, this sort of processing behaviour
should be defined in conjunction with other specifications. For example,
when used with XHTML, this XLink constructs means one thing. When used with
another specification, it means another. XLink needs to provide a means for
associating independent behaviour with generic linking constructs.
I'm not sure what the best way to do this would be. But I do
believe that it would solve interoperability problems, and allow for the
repurposing of dynamic content. For example, in a PDA environment, an
extended link might do one thing, detailed in an appropriate
specification...under the demesnes of the group setting the standards for
PDA devices. In an ebook environment, the same link may do something
different. And again, differently on the Web.
This sounds like nasty interoperability, but if these groups would
just get their butts in gear and -coordinate-, then interoperability
problems could be solved with no loss to the needed flexibility for
multiple media hyperlinking.
>I'm just not sure that there's much real benefit to using XLink. On the
And I agree. Although my involvement with XLink has been intimate,
I am about as neutral on it as I am on anything else. Sure, it would
gratify my ego to see people using XLink, but what I -really- want is one
linking standard that everybody adopts. I don't care if it's XLinks,
HyTime, or something cooked up in some Linux shop somewhere. I just want to
see a standard adopted, and followed.
This divisiveness among the groups who are supposed to be solving
these problems is getting a little silly, as is all the theological
hand-waving about the better spec, and the finger-pointing over who did
what. Who cares? Give me a linking spec, and then use it, people!
--->Ben
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