Subject: Re: The horror that is XML From: Erik Naggum <erik@naggum.net> Date: Fri, 08 Mar 2002 00:27:13 GMT Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp Message-ID: <3224536042157026@naggum.net> * Kenny Tilton | So it is XML's fault that Microsoft can screw it up? Microsoft is the major force pushing XML. So, yes. | Is there anything they cannot screw up? You are blaming the tool for what | a lousy practitioner does with it. Sounds like what happens to Lisp. No, the lousy practitioners are not the people pushing Lisp the hardest. | Dude, you are passing up a lovely opportunity to slam MS. I think I can do both XML and MS at the same time. :) | This reminds me of Graham's beef with OO, viz, that you can do | spaghetti-OO with it. I know what he means, my class hierarchies | sometimes migrate from coherent to pasta as they evolve. I don't blame | OO, I refactor (a phrase I know you are keen on). I know a behavioral psychologist. He does safety instructions for ships and oil rigs for a living. He argues that if you give instructions that people do not follow, the instructions are wrong. There is probably some sense to this. In some particular domains it is probably even true. /// -- In a fight against something, the fight has value, victory has none. In a fight for something, the fight is a loss, victory merely relief.