- From: Jon Bosak <bosak@atlantic-83.Eng.Sun.COM>
- Date: Fri, 28 Mar 1997 23:49:28 -0800
- To: w3c-sgml-wg@w3.org
It's catechism time again. Q: What is the primary purpose of XML? The primary purpose of XML is to serve as a delivery format for structured data over the World Wide Web. Q: Do we hope that XML will also be used for authoring? Yes, we hope that XML will also be used for authoring. Q: Is that its primary purpose? No, that is not its primary purpose. Q: Do we expect XML to be used for database storage? Yes, we expect XML to be used for database storage. Q: Is that its primary purpose? No, that is not its primary purpose. Q: Are authoring and storage important to us? Yes, authoring and storage are extremely important to us. Q: Are they as important as delivery over the Web? No, they are not. Q: What is the most important aspect of delivery over the Web? The most important aspect of delivery over the Web is interoperability. Q: Are URLs interoperable for Web delivery? Yes, they are. Q: Why are URLs interoperable? Because there is an agreed-upon mechanism by which documents identified with URLs can be delivered over the Web. Q: Are XML public identifiers interoperable for Web delivery? No, they are not. Q: Why are XML public identifiers not interoperable? Because there is no agreed-upon mechanism by which documents identified with XML public identifiers can be delivered over the Web. Q: What will Web developers say to us if we deliver a standard for Web delivery in which a major feature does not interoperate? They will laugh us to scorn. Q: Is that all? They will hold us up to public ridicule and contempt. Q: Is that all? They may not implement XML. Q: Can we have features that fail to provide interoperable Web delivery in XML? No, we cannot have features that fail to provide interoperable Web delivery in XML. Jon
Received on Saturday, 29 March 1997 02:49:33 UTC