envelopes vs. payloads, calsch,

["Phil Wolff" <pwolff@bigfoot.com>]

Standards groups (like this one has become) often need to draw a line
declaring what is in and out of the next major spec release. Do you
think there is room in the next syndication release to (a) further
separate envelope from payload and (b) include payload DTDs by
reference?

(a) further separate the envelope from the payload?

Can the spec allow just about anything to be syndicated, beyond news
items?

For example, a company called Webhire distributes job listings and
resumes among thousands of sites. Could a job listing become a
payload and its metadata inform various elements of the envelope
(dates of embargo, best if used by, expiration; poster, categories,
geocoding)?

I agree about syndicating events; they are a natural. About the
Calendaring and Scheduling standard, (1), I'm not sure if the ietf
calsch working group ever finished, but it appears so. I'd really
like to be able to include in my web pages things like Craig's List
events, ZDnet conference listings, my brother's band's gigs,
reminders for when my bills are due. I'd also like to syndicate
project to-do lists, bookmark collections, and even my resumé (2).

 (1) http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/calsch-charter.html
 (2) http://www.hr-xml.org/schemas.html

(b) include payload DTD's by reference?

A great deal of the value this group brings is in the envelope. Why
not permit inclusion by reference of payload structure? Assures
notice of payload structure changes. Let's you choose to support this
particular channel, or not. And support the myriad of content types.

- Phil Wolff [http://dijest.editthispage.com/]

p.s. a little voice inside my head,
noticing references to persistant ids,
mumbles about persistant egos and superegos.
- phil