Message-ID: <199811101851.NAA27790@internet.idrc.ca> Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 13:55:07 -0600 From: Lucie Lamoureux <mailto:llamoureux@BELLANET.ORG> Subject: Re: DML:XML for international Development To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
In response to Christopher Byrne's message re. the DML Initiative, I will try to clear up some of the misunderstandings:The message which was posted on this list by Sam Lanfranco is an invitation for the development community to discuss the creation of a DML standard. It is not a "done deal", there is no "secret process", and it is not a Bellanet initiative. However, we believe this initiative is worthwhile and thus providing support in order to move it forward. The mailing list discussion on DML is a collective effort. A growing number of organisations are represented on that list and we hope that this trend continues.
It is difficult to compare XML with Lotus Notes. Lotus Notes is proprietary software which has very different objectives from XML, which is a markup language derived (as is HTML), from the Standard General Markup Language, SGML. XML is an international open standard, accessible to everyone, and designed to overcome the limitations of HTML. The two don't have to compete, XML can even be layered into Lotus Notes.
The questions that were raised in the message (re. access issues, ease of use and willingness to collaborate) are indeed important ones, and the creation of a DML standard would not necessarily solve all these problems. But before deciding that "we don't need a mark-up language to define how we develop information standards", shouldn't we look into it? This is what the DML Initiative is all about and everyone in the development community is welcomed to participate and voice their opinions.
____________________________________________________________________ Lucie Lamoureux - Outreach Program Officer Bellanet International Secretariat, c/o IDRC 250 Albert St., PO Box 8500, Ottawa, ON, K1G 3H9, Canada tel: (613) 236-6163 # 2424 fax: (613) 238-7230 email: mailto:llamoureux@bellanet.org www: http://www.bellanet.org ____________________________________________________________________