[sc34wg3] occurrence - basename fuzzy border

[Murray Altheim]

Nikita,

This discussion begs a bigger question, i.e., is work being done
on a new version of XTM that is intended to

   a. fix bugs and correct documentation mistakes
   b. add desired features not included in XTM 1.0

While my opinion matters only as just another opinion on the matter,
I'd not sign up to the latter; I'm not interested, I think it's
dangerous, and ignores recent history. I've not looked at the
requirements on the new work, so I'm speaking from ignorance here.

We need more than any feature something a feature would not give us:
stability. While many technologies spend their 1.0, 2.0, 3.0
versioning history fixing bugs, others "improve" the spec by
continually adding to it. At some point it reaches critical mass
and explodes in uselessness. And along the way there's no stability
and the entire community plays catch-up with each other. We've all
watched HTML, now we're watching XML as they arc skyward and go boom.

Oh, to avoid that with XML Topic Maps. If you hear my criticism of
"vendors" it's perhaps simply a foil for that all-to-human desire
for "progress", which sometimes is not progress at all. [and
honestly, I wasn't making any statement of anyone's motivations; as
I tried to explain I was trying to understand this feature request
in some way *other* than (b) above]

Murray

......................................................................
Murray Altheim                  <http://kmi.open.ac.uk/people/murray/>
Knowledge Media Institute
The Open University, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK7 6AA, UK

     "In Las Vegas Mr Gates also demonstrated a prototype
      fridge magnet which can be programmed to receive traffic
      reports, sports results and advertisements from local
      restaurants using the same FM signal as the wristwatch."
                                  -- The Guardian, 10 Jan 2003.