Re: [xml-dev] Semantics and the Web: An Awkward History

[Peter Flynn <peter@silmaril.ie>]

On 15/09/2021 00:59, Gareth Oakes wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I read some of the recent comments with interest as in my world the 
> "XML project" has been a success. Just like PVC piping, TPS cable,
> and galvanised screws the XML is now a standard infrastructure.

I think this is pretty much what I hoped XML would do in my (publishing)
world that SGML was unable or too early to do. It has blended into the
wainscot so that no-one knows it's there except us, and it requires very
little attention apart from an occasional rub and polish.

However, as we die off in the long run, there will be a need for new
people who understand it to take over; and a need for newer people to
work on whatever comes along to replace it.

> I would point to systems such as Paligo, LegisPro, Fonto, Xeditor, 
> and Quark Publishing Platform as proof that you can "democratise
> XML", allowing non-technical users to work with XML documents without
> ever having to learn what an element, attribute, or entity is or
> does.

These are all usable as you describe, but only with substantial
preparatory work on the front end. I have to repeat what I found a
decade ago: there are no XML editors usable out of the box by the
non-XML-expert computer user, which operate in the way expected by the
non-XML-expert computer user. I think this is a pity, but perhaps these
users don't ever want to use XML, knowingly or not.

Peter