XML
This updates the article at:

XML for Not Yet Techies

Since I wrote this original article, XML has gone from
being a little known and little used esoteric concept
to a little known but widely used, esoteric technology.

Microsoft uses it fully in its .NET Framework. VRML
has been switched to an XML format. HTML has officially
given way to XHTML, although most people still just
say HTML.

Just one XML-related offshoot is creating a huge stir --
that's RSS, because of its potential to overcome the
problems now associated with sending email: spam,
spam filters catching legitimate email, etc. RSS has
opened up a whole new world of information providers
sending news to people who want it and people getting
the news they want.

An RSS reader will be included with Microsoft Windows
eventually, and then everybody will learn about it.

Meanwhile, web marketers are using it to build entire
sites.

And that's just a small piece of it. Just about every
new computer language must be object oriented so it's
also compatible with the XML format. It also fits in
perfectly with database technologies. XML is in effect
its own miniature database.

Behind the scenes, XML is being used and implemented
in a wide array of different ways by many different
industries.

The "technology" or the concept has itself not much
changed (though current version is XML 1.1) -- it's
infinitely adaptable. What's changed
is the degree of implementation.

For more information, go to:

XML
- posted by RickStooker @ 1:52 PM