Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.
Re: Want to tell the list?
Author: David Carter-Tod Posted: 9/6/2000; 11:21:55 AM Topic: scriptingNews outline for 9/2/2000 Msg #: 20913 (In response to 20848) Prev/Next: 20912 / 20914
Like it or not, the format stands for RDF Site Summary. It is not elitism to update a spec so that it continues to live up to its name (at least, not in my mind)Actually, I always thought it was Rich Site Summary, and that's what my.netscape called it.
The point is almost a philosophical one. What is more important? Authorial intent? Usage and current understanding? Advocating authorial intent over actual usage is somewhat elitist...
It doesn't matter what the authors of the original RSS format intended, it has been used as a syndication format. Furthermore, while Netscape gave birth to the format, Dave W. had a lot to do with the nurturing of the format and its proliferation. In practice, RSS is a syndication format because that's how 95% of people use it. It's simple and it works.
The new format does indeed go back to the original intent, but that's irrelevant now. It does open up possibilties, but those possibilities are in a space that most users (like myself) aren't interested in. It is something different, and is trying to accomplish something different from current practice and understanding in the user community. What it is trying to accomplish is praiseworthy and worthwhile, but it ain't RSS as I or most users understand it.
David
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