Re: [syndication] Re: Total confusion in RSS-Land

[Mark Nottingham <mnot@mnot.net>]

On Tue, Oct 17, 2000 at 04:59:03PM -0700, Rael Dornfest wrote:
> 
> Putting the content aside for a second, I think we have a nice experiment
> in grassroots standardization happening on RSS-DEV with policies and
> procedures that are actually quite decent. I ask you to take a gander if
> you've not already done so[1].  Please understand that I'm in no way shoving 
> this down anyone's throat; just hoped it might provide some interesting
> grist for the mill.

I didn't realize that RSS-DEV had a charter, etc.; pleasant surprise.
Unfortunately, groups that come about without a larger context may have
difficulty asserting any authority, as might be the case here ;)


> Standards bodies rely upon the people involved to be productive, 
> cooperative, and respectful.  Taking a mess to a standards body with the
> hope that it'll be cleaned up by virtue of being given a home is, in my
> opinion, rather optimistic.  Take a gander at the XML-DEV mailing list a
> view into the efficacy of standards bodies[2].  (Not rendering an opinion
> here, mind you, only a pointer.)

Very true. I'd hope that cooler heads would prevail, but I'm not at all sure
of it. Having to justify your choices, as well as having deadlines (however
soft) tend to encourage decisions; hopefully rational ones. 


> Not that I'm against optimism, mind you.  That's why I firmly believe its
> possible for resolution in some form here.  Syndication and RSS-DEV have
> on the main a wonderful group, representing a wide swath of the the RSS
> user-base: theorists, implementors, end-users, et al.  There just needed
> to be a little more organization in the beginning.

I'm regularly accused of being an optimist; no worries. I agree that good
people are doing good work here, but I'm concerned that without a larger
context, this work will be lost. RSS as a format has had half-acceptance for
a long, long time; I'd like to see that change, but IMHO nothing on either
side of the fence here is really encouraging that.

Cheers,

-- 
Mark Nottingham
http://www.mnot.net/