Netscape now represented in the XML process

As of today, I will, on a consulting basis, be representing Netscape's 
interests in the XML standardization process.

Netscape (along with apparently everyone else in the world) is highly
interested in metadata and schema architectures, and has near-term
requirements for the standard to progress in this area.  The various
proposals that have been flying around are pleasing and, at least on
the namespace issue, the prospects for building consensus on something
simple and useful seem very good.  We feel that the proposals to date
have left a couple of important areas unaddressed, and will be submitting
a position paper sometime in the next week to help move things along in 
this area.  Of course, everyone's top priority for the remainder of June 
has to be those remaining XML-lang warts and getting XML-link beaten into 
usable shape.  People need to be able to do relatively fear-free 
implementations starting July 1.

It would seem that the world's demand for improvements in the XML family
of specifications will exceed the world-wide supply of expertise/time
to build those improvements, at least for now.  We'll just have to do
our best with what we've got.

Finally, speaking for myself, I should make it clear that I am not
a Netscape employee; while I will be representing Netscape's interests
within this process (it helps that I agree with them about most things)
I am in no sense a Netscape spokesperson, and nothing I say, in 
particular nothing I say outside the confines of the official XML
process, should be taken as having any relation to Netscape's opinions
or perceptions.  Netscape has a highly competent staff of people who
are both empowered and properly skilled to present the Netscape
viewpoint to the outside world; I am not among them.

Cheers, Tim Bray
tbray@textuality.com http://www.textuality.com/ +1-604-708-9592

Received on Tuesday, 3 June 1997 00:16:10 UTC