Hadriel is right... I quit using xmlmind (never installed on the new
machine) because I should not be focusing on formatting nonsense when I
should be focusing on generating the correct content. Getting the arcane
systax correct always takes me half a day because I am not constantly
writing drafts.
I am not opposed to tools like xml2rfc in general, but that implementation
(even using something like xmlmind with the appropriate filter) represents a
giant leap backward to the early 80's world of document creation. As far as
I am concerned xml2rfc represents a first step, but we must not stop there.
Tony
-----Original Message-----
From: ietf-bounces(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
[mailto:ietf-bounces(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org] On Behalf Of
Hadriel Kaplan
Sent: Sunday, July 05, 2009 4:26 PM
To: Joel M. Halpern; Iljitsch van Beijnum
Cc: IETF Discussion Mailing List
Subject: RE: XML2RFC must die, was: Re: Two different threads - IETF
Document Format
At 11:01 AM 7/5/2009, Joel M. Halpern wrote:
I have seen some folks arguing that we should make XML2RFC normative
and mandatory. If they can figure out how to automatically and
accurate convert the other mechanisms people use, then that can be
considered. Otherwise, mandating would be inappropriate, as some
folks do indeed find it difficult.
+1
For those who are used to MS-Word, XMLMind is frustrating and truly
requires an XML mind. Even simple things like cut/paste are done in a
very different (and frankly inconsistent) way, as are references and
such. In theory a WYSIWYG word processor shouldn't require an author
to know the internal representation and underlying language of the
document format.
I know a large number if not outright majority of IETF authors do not
use MS-Word, so XML2RFC is a fine *option* - but please don't ever
*mandate* it and force the rest of us have to write documents in a
syntax only a tiny fraction of the planet uses and understands.
-hadriel
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