" Reading about dublin cores and
SOAP-RP, and module mod_admin, and assuming you're good people, let me try to
explain something that I don't think you "get." "
I'm
not quite sure where this is coming from, but can only assume you're referring
to my recent, rather non-confrontational announcement of updates to
Meerkat. My note was all about tools and applications, not
partisanship and politics. I think you'd be similarly surprised if folks
responded with similar vehemence upon your mention of Radio Userland or
Scripting or Manila or any other number of announcements you make here and on
other lists.
Your
response was, at best, questionable.
Your
disinterest in the ability to search aggregated feeds for postings by
a particular author or on a particular subject given all you say about
the importance of tools over specs is interesting.
Your
lumping folks together in a "Dear ..." letter just for having posted things
you don't find all that interesting whilst you were out of town was, at best,
odd.
" RSS belongs to the people. "
And
the people are bringing RSS along with them and allowing it to evolve and fit
the needs of the many, not the one. Again, this is not a partisan
statement. Yes, it is a pity that RSS is evolving in different
ways. It's even more of a pity given that the folks on RSS-DEV,
Syndication, and ReallySimpleSyndication are often trying to solve the same
problems and add similar functionality (I reference discussion of the need for
date, source, and so on).
" It's
simple, understandable at a first read, and then continues to make sense after
you read the spec."
Unfortunately, after all this time, you're still
confusing simplicity for useability. Yes, RSS 0.93 does allow for really
simple syndication. And that really does work nicely for the vast
majority of current RSS use. But it simply does not take into account
the needs of users going beyond simple headline syndication. And this
has been the case for some time. RSS development back in April last year
was languishing due to lack of interest by its caretakers. Ad hoc
extensions and overloading <description> made the use of some feeds an
exercise in screenscraping. No, the current schism is perhaps not
anyone's favourite state of affairs, but it has spawned forward momentum on
all fronts.
" My advice, if you want to understand,
go to a dinner in Amsterdam and talk with some users. Or go to Copenhagen and
do the same. Find out where their minds are at on this XML stuff. Then see
what you can do to help them. "
Unfortunately, some of us will not be making it to
the continent for our school holidays this summer. This doesn't mean we
won't be listening and responding to RSS users of all
flavours.
" This little community keeps swirling
around your issues. That's pretty selfish, if you ask me. "
Not
quite sure what this means.
But congratulations, assuming you wanted the
attention, you got it.
Again, all I wanted was to mention some new features
in a service used by some of the folks on this list.
Have a nice day. ;->
Always.
Rael
Ain't no sunshine when he's
gone...