Why do we do XML? Focus is on users. But what user sector should be be targeting?

There's a tendency in the XML world to always think about the future. Dave's point:the future is now.

Dave is very much an XML idealist. "XML is about working with the world, not workingwith companies."

Dave develops software by thinking about the users and tries to empower users. Davewants to see XML formats go through a simplification process after the spec is frozen,because simpler formats empower users to understand the format. When users understandthe core XML format, they can do new things with that XML.

Don Box: URI's were a mistake. Google has transcended the need for URI's, from a userperspective at least.

Thought: Dave sounds like he wants to keep all forms of XML human-grokable so that"users" can understand it. Who cares is XML is human-readable? Humans don't consumeXML, programs do. Thus, an XML format should be geared toward enabling the programsto know what they need to know. The representation that is easiest for programs toconsume is not the representation that is best geared toward humans. Even developersare not the primary consumers

Don Box on Microsoft: "There's something healthy about the internal tension betweenthe simultaneous desires to crush and assimilate. And I mean that in the most loving,friendly way possible."