RE: XML As Fall Guy

Kurt sez:  "I'd argue that there is not enough focus on REST at this point."

And that is probably the itch in your application domains and I  
understand that.

On the other hand, the fact that Microsoft Word cannot be used as a  
compliant XML Editor (no, the crap they have in there doesn't work),  
forces several bad process decisions which raise the cost and reduce  
the quality of technical documentation in shops that are heavily  
Microsoft-oriented.  We mush editors like Arbor Text or Oxygen in  
there but that means the actual XML production becomes a  
back-of-the-shop end-of-the-line task and that raises hairy hell with  
configuration management, single records of authority, updates,  
retirements etc.

As I've said before, in the push to put bits on the wire, the original  
application for marking up documents went to the back of the bus.   
With the exception of dedicated editing products, that is where it  
remains given the increasing use of enterprise file managers such as  
SharePoint to dominate the process designs and by default, the key  
human interfaces to the assembly and management of those files.

XML has to be a first class document citizen and not a slave to the  
database interfaces.  Damm Balmer's Eyes! ;)

len