XML is boring (long --- sorry)

[Dave Winer]

I think the most important thing about XML is that it will give users
choices. 

If Microsoft, for example, were to store all their Office files in XML then
you could use any other tool to work on the files. 

So Peter's dream of an XML-based spreadsheet may not be so far away.

The web of HTML documents is good for what it is, a simple display markup
with links. But there are a lot more UIs that are well understood and none
of them are particularly relevant to HTML. 

XML is a fresh start, taking the best ideas of the web (open file formats,
cross-platform, low-techness) and bringing it to a broader range of software.

Also, IMHO, if it achieves its promise, XML should clean up text-based
exchange formats, comma-delimited, tab-indented, etc.

And it presents an opportunity to clean up various incompatibilies in wire
protocols, Apple Events, COM, CORBA, etc.

But the key to all these things is compatibility, that's the big payoff for
users.

In a way it's amazing that Microsoft is supporting it so heavily, because
it seems to be much better for those of us outside of MS.

Dave

At 01:46 PM 9/12/98 -0700, you wrote:
>I talk to a lot of journalists.  The #1 question I get is: "What will the
>impact of XML be from the user point of view?"  My sound-bite answer is
>"The web should look about the same, but work a lot faster.  And search 
>engine results should get a lot better."
>
>I believe in both those predictions.
>
>Is that boring?
>
> -Tim
>
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