If you're looking for a way to effectively communicate the advantages of XML to
your manager, your colleagues, or perhaps your granny in East Kalamazoo, you are in luck.
A 79-minute XML videotape, Introduction to XML, was previewed at the conference from
Synth-Bank. In addition to being a great non-technical
introduction to XML, especially from a business perspective, the video stars a number
of the key figures behind the development of:
Jon Bosak (Sun Microsystem), Tim Bray (Textuality),
Michael Sperberg-McQueen (University of Illinois at Chicago),
Jean Paoli (Microsoft), and the father of SGML, Charles Goldfarb.
The presentation is divided into six sections, the first two of which focus on the
benefits of XML and its curious history that can be traced back to 1986 (when ISO approved SGML)
or to 1996 (when W3C activity began to create SGML for the Web).
The impact of XML is stressed by all of the cast of characters.
Here's a notable quote from Michael Sperberg-McQueen, for example:
"It's not every week you see computer specs on the cover of Time magazine."
Jean Paoli (or was it Tim Bray?) explained that one main reason the Web is slow
is because desktop computers are used only to display HTML;
overtaxed servers do all the processing and searching for far too many people.
XML enables applications to shift data to the desktop so that client applications can
do the main work.
The tape can be purchased for $49.95 by calling 1- 800-336-0466.
