-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: hackable xml
From: Michael Kay <mike@s...>
Date: Wed, July 28, 2010 9:24 am
To: xml-dev@l...


> sure (although don't get me started on the 5th edn [1]:-) but
> presumably there was some constituency asking loud enough for EBCDIC
> flavoured line endings in XML for the core WG to attempt to add them
> in 1.1.
>

"loud" is probably the operative word. I would hazard a scenario like
this: chief architect at major bank has discussion on golf course with
IBM account manager about future of mainframes in data centre. Mentions
that he'd be more inclined to stick with mainframes if they did XML
better - for example, the parser doesn't even understand EBCDIC line
endings. Salesman returns to base saying $1bn of business depends on
having better support for XML on mainframes and in particular support
for EBCDIC line endings. Standards representatives from IBM are told
their jobs are on the line if this doesn't get fixed. Five years later,
it's in the standard - but the bank by then has moved everything onto
Unix anyway.

Possibly a fairy-tale, but a plausible one. This is the way our industry
works.

Michael Kay
Saxonica

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