Re: [syndication] Re: Thoughts, questions, and issues.

[zac <zac@pixelgeek.com>]

Aaron Swartz wrote:

>RSS 1.0 is designed to be
> backwards-compatible with 0.9, if you can't parse the new stuff (like
> namespaces or RDF) just ignore it and you'll be fine. Do 1.0 files break
> your parser? If so, you may want to bring that up as an issue to the RSS-DEV
> list so that they know.
 
I'll test it this afternoon to see.

> You also may want to start using a real programming environment. ;-) Just
> kidding!

Kidding aside I think this is a actually a bit of an important point. I
would hope that when people look at extending XML and XML based formats that
they stop to think of the effect that those changes will have  people what
don't use C or Java or link to the MSXML DOM object.

I think comments like Eric's observation that

> so it's only the *very* desperate Perl
> hacker (i.e. the one doing CGI work on a super-cheap Web host that won't
> do more than bung a copy of an old Perl executable up on their site) who's
> hurt by this

is actually quite worrisome.  I don't mean to imply any ill will or negative
connotations on Eric's part but people have to realise that these formats
(and XML in general) are being used by people that either don't have access
to the same sort of tools that you do or who don't want to be bothered with
having to use / understand / implement something like namespaces when all
they want to do is parse a list of news items and display it on the screen.


--      

       Because the sleaze potential of the music business rivals
       that of, say, Third World gunrunning or illegal ivory trafficking,
       the fate of the charming but naive Hansons is a bit worrisome

       Jancee Dunn, Rolling Stone


       email: zac@pixelgeek.com
       WWW: http://www.pixelgeek.com/