From: Eugene Leitl (eugene.leitl@lrz.uni-muenchen.de)
Date: Fri Aug 11 2000 - 14:27:40 PDT
Kragen Sitaker writes:
> It looks like we're going to have to resign ourselves to a future where
> software is only 90% interoperable, if we're going to get a world where
> everyone is publishing XML documents.
The problem is obviously that we have to uncouple ourselves from the
market (which driving standard balkanization by attempting to lock
user base), while still maintaining noninfinitesimal user and
developer base.
One of the reasons why digital libraries and scientific e-publishing
has so far failed is the need for continuous migration. Not only
ephemeral hardware, which is bad enough, but also the continuous
mutation of "standards". It would be possible to adapt to standards
which have a half life of 10-15 years range, and are so well designed
that you can migrate semiautomatically, with minimal losses.
This is clearly not what the public wants, or thinks what it not
wants.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Aug 11 2000 - 15:34:00 PDT