Re: PC Magazine, John Dvorak - depressing reading

> From PC Magazine, June 1997, UK Version:-
> 
> John C. Dvorak
> 
> [Start of extract]
> 
> There's a new alternative to HTML for web page creation - XML (Extensible
> Markup Language(,
> Much of the idea comes from Microsoft, but its supported by Adobe, Sun
> Microsystems,
> Novell, Hewlett Packard, NCSA and others. Actually, everyone except Netscape.
> Supposedly it creates 'richer' content than we already have. What this means
> is a mystery.

Hmmm, I hope this isn't a common misconception.  I am over-joyed (really,
I am) that Microsoft has embraced XML, but the idea comes from the
people on the ERB and this XML development list.  Microsoft knows this. 
We know this.  How about the rest of the world?

The absolute last thing I want to do is to have to fight "anti-Microsoft"
sentiments while trying to get people to embrace XML.

Hey, I work in both worlds:  "We are a Microsoft site." and "Microsoft! Never!"
(and, of course, everyone inbetween).

> [Disparaging stuff about Microsoft's web site deleted].
> 
> So we go from the pathetic Microsoft Web site to this XML deal. If anyone
> has a theory
> about this please let me know. My thinking is that it is part of a long term 
> strategy to keep the average Joe - who can learn HTML in an hour - off the
> Web. What
> will become of the world if everyone is allowed to be a publisher.
> 
> [End of extract]

What was this suppose to mean?  ....I never understand this sentiment.  
Hey, if you can do it yourself, great!  Maybe a professional can do it 
better/faster but they cost money.  

If I can sit in emacs, write my own SGML document, write my own transformation 
or stylesheet, and do this all because I *can*, I certainly not going to pay 
someone else because they have declared themselves a professional.

...more power to them if they can.

(Now, of course, this point is mute for me--I am a professional in this
business.) ;-)

It should be our goal that developers can deliver XML products that allow
*users* to publish their own documents with a reasonable amount of work.

Thanks for posting this.  I think we need to make sure that in the initial
stages here that writers, magazines, and the general public are corrected
when mis-information is distributed.

Whenever I read an article on HTML and the Web, I usually ended up shuddering
about the mis-information.  Can we keep this from happening often with
XML?  Obviously, we can't absolutely do this.

Thoughts on this?

==============================================================================
R. Alexander Milowski     http://www.copsol.com/   alex@copsol.com
Copernican Solutions Incorporated                  (612) 379 - 3608

Received on Friday, 2 May 1997 09:57:47 UTC