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> On Saturday 26 October 2002 10:43 pm, AndrewWatt2000@aol.com wrote:
> > Have you noticed that it is often computer book authors such as Simon,
> > Elliotte and myself who are raising concerns.
>
> And me (although I'm just getting started on the 'prolific author' thing)
Hmmmph. Well, I proudly put myself on the exact opposite end of this
spectrum. XML works for me. I like it, and it has solved many practical
problems for me and my clients. I have, in general, far fewer concerns with
XML than I do with other technologies with which I work. Despite my own
frequent railing about the intrusion of "object XML", I really don't see the
sky falling on me.
You guys make it sound as if anyone has claimed XML is a perfect technology.
Maybe some press drones have, but most people know better, and know how to
filter hype. XML is a technology with good points and bad points, as all are.
I tend to think the good points outweight th ebad ones. Do you guys say the
opposite?
Also, I won't cede to your camp the idea that everyone who deals with "real
people" has concerns about XML. I think this is a subtle insult to the rest
of us. I have arranged my livelihood so that if I'm not able to use XML to
solve real problems for real people, I don't eat. Even with that low-Maslow
connection to the issues, I don't see as much doom as a lot of you do.
So we can argue whether or not things are coming apart, but let's not bandy
about silly claims that our beliefs are more informed by interaction with the
mainstream world than those of anyone else.
> > A lot of the online material about XML is muddled / garbled.
I believe that there is more good, clear and useful information about XML
available on-line than there is about most other technologies I observe. It's
not all stacked in the same place. Sometimes open specs are the best place,
sometimes tutorials, sometimes articles, and sometimes even presentation
slides. But if you know where to look, there is good information about just
about every XML topic out there. I know because clients often would rather I
send them a good link on a technology I recommend rather than paying me a lot
of money to spell it all out from the basics (they'd rather save my expertise
for the harder matters that are less soluble through reference to
documentation). I've been pretty happy with my ability to provide such links
and resources.
I've always been an optimist, but I've abandoned technologies with no
compunction many times in my career. Right now, as far as XML is concerned,
I'm well in the shade.
--
Uche Ogbuji Fourthought, Inc.
http://uche.ogbuji.net http://4Suite.org http://fourthought.com
Python&XML column: 2. Introducing PyXML - http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2002/09/25/p
y.html
The Past, Present and Future of Web Services 1 - http://www.webservices.org/ind
ex.php/article/articleview/663/1/24/
The Past, Present and Future of Web Services 2 - 'http://www.webservices.org/in
dex.php/article/articleview/679/1/24/
Serenity through markup - http://adtmag.com/article.asp?id=6807
Tip: Using generators for XML processing - http://www-106.ibm.com/developerwork
s/xml/library/x-tipgenr.html
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