Re: [xml-dev] Re: It's too late to improve XML ... lessons learned?

[Peter Flynn <peter@silmaril.ie>]

On 13/01/2022 14:07, Henry S. Thompson wrote:
> Stephen D Green <stephengreenubl@gmail.com> writes:
> 
>> A huge benefit, brought by XML, was that with Unicode, it allowed 
>> [all natural languages] an equal playing field
> 
> Hear, hear.  Those of you who were around in [Santa Clara, I think
> it was?] when the box of red pre-prints of the 1st draft of XML was 
> distributed will remember that there was significant push-back on
> the commitment to Unicode, along the lines of "you idiots, you've
> signed your own death warrant, no-one will commit to doubling the
> size of their documents just to accommodate people who should be
> using English anyway". 

To which my response was along the lines of "let them eat Word" (I was
fighting a battle between SGML and wordprocessors at the time).

> I exaggerate only slightly.

No, I think you are accurate.

> All credit to Jon Bosak and the rest of the editorial group for not
> giving in.
And for insisting on terseness being of minimal importance :-)

Peter