Meng Weng Wong wrote:
Most of those people are actually me, and I'm just transmitting an
alternative design philosophy from a Major Player Who Shall Not Be Named.
I believe that it is important to take opposing ideas for a test drive
before discarding them. Most of the time you come away firmer in your
beliefs. Sometimes you change your mind for the better. Either way you
win.
True, but if you insist on examining an infinite number of proposals,
you take an infinite time doing anything. Then you lose.
This is why Open Source has a "Release early, release often" policy. It
doesn't have to cram everything into one release for maximum cash value,
it gets something done, releases it without the claim that nothing will
ever wash whiter, and continue the improvements.
I know that standards don't have the same luxury of rapid iterative
release as software, but the basic principles still stand.
Ultimately I think it comes down to different cultures. XML in DNS is
not acceptable to the culture that reads Slashdot, runs Linux, and
discusses standards openly on mailing lists. XML in DNS is a brilliant
idea in the culture that controls the market for MUAs on the desktop and
redefines the technology landscape on a regular basis.
Oh. That's who it is then.
We are not technology bigots (and I assume that's not what you're
implying). As it happens I'm probably significantly more into XML than
most people (FWIW I actually *like* XML-RPC and SOAP).
I am not against it because it's culturally unacceptable; I'm not that
short-sighted. I'm against it (even though it's an open standard, IIRC)
because it's the wrong solution for the problem. We *have* a solution;
it fits perfectly well with the design and concept of the SMTP and DNS
systems with which it has to interact, and it needs to be released.
As and when DNS and Email are organised as XML data, it may be
appropriate to reconsider.
The question is, who's got more clout?
On the desktop? Commercial interests (although that's getting eroded).
On the server and the network? Open standards. No contest.
Wechsler
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