RE: [xml-dev] Utilizing the Web's Whole Information Space, i.e., Mechanisms/Patterns of Information Usage and Formation?

["Costello, Roger L." <costello@mitre.org>]

Hi Folks,

Thanks a lot for your comments!  The issue is becoming clearer in my
mind.  Hopefully I can articulate the vision that is emerging. 

For my clients, all that matters is to get the information to the
decision-makers.  It is the "information" that is critical.  The
decision-makers don't care what technology was used.  As long as they
can get the information, that's all that matters.

What are the mechanisms/patterns that people use to create and
transform information?  I identify some of them:

A. Web services can be built to provide information to the
decision-makers.  Web services are a useful mechanism/pattern for
creating and transforming information.  But it is only one
mechanism/pattern.  There are many other mechanisms/patterns.

B. RSS is another mechanism/pattern.  The decision-maker can get his
information through an RSS feed, and by following the links in the RSS
document.

So now we see two mechanisms/patterns for getting information to the
decision-makers.  That is, we see two mechanisms/patterns for creating
and transforming information.

C. Let's consider another mechanism/pattern.  A traditional web site
(e.g., Amazon) provides information, and it can also be sent
information. The information is typically viewed through a browser.

So now we see three mechanisms/patterns that people use for creating
and transforming information:
   - web services
   - RSS
   - traditional web sites

And there are other mechanisms/patterns such as blogs, IM, email.

To my clients (the decision-makers) these mechanisms/patterns are all
the same ... they are all mechanisms/patterns that people use to create
and transform information. Collectively they result in creating a
global "space of information".  It is the richness of this information
space that is important, not the particular technologies that is used
to create the information.

Questions: 
1. How do we effectively utilize this global information space?  

2. Can we use these mechanisms/patterns in a holistic, integrated
fashion? 
 
3. Can the global information space be used in a fashion such that the
underlying mechanisms/patterns that were used to create the information
is transparent?  

4. What are key mechanisms/patterns that are used to populate the
global space of information - web services, RSS, traditional web sites,
blogs, IM, email, what else?

/Roger