[DotGNU]Just Some Comments/Analysis

[Seth Johnson]

I just want to put out a few comments, none of which I think
people are likely to disagree with.  These are just general
comments which I think are important to bear in mind:

A major reason why so many big players are jumping on the
web services protocols bandwagon is because of what they
hope to establish along with the application server and XML
interoperability framework that they set up.  Notably, the
marginalizing of the copyleft front ("Who needs code anyway,
from an application server?"), and the instituting of
content control.  With the protocol suite they've worked up,
they will be able to build in content control while
characterizing anything else as either non-interoperable or
renegade, or both.

Much of the hype and cool-beans stuff associated with the
web services protocols is just "the stuff that's possible
now that we agree on how to describe data so we can
interoperate."

But what they are adding to the interoperability issue, is
the prospect of establishing the idea that there will be
"services formats" that work with specific services -- which
can then be treated as proprietary, much like the current
idea that there are certain "document formats" that work
with specific traditional applications.  Developers who
disagree with this idea may find themselves having to
contend with the potential of being characterized at minimum
as non-standard -- or at worst as renegades.

This is the part of these standards that needs to be
targetted.  The recently unveiled patents associated with
the protocols only emphasize that this is the game that's
up.

Just a few points to keep in mind, that in my opinion should
clarify the nature of the fight.  Feel free to correct or
improve on them.


Seth Johnson