Friday, October 31, 2008

Week 9 Readings

Bergholz Tutorial
Maybe because it seems to take longer to write out, or because I came into this class as an HTML and an XML virgin , but XML just doesn’t seem any easier or more semantic to me. In fact, and maybe, again, because it was introduced first and I don’t even have my training wheels off yet, but HTML seems simpler.

XML Schema Tutorial
Yeah, no, totally didn’t convince me that XML is easier than HTML. Perhaps they need to get the guy who wrote the HTML instructions to come on over and write these ones. It makes me realize that it’s going to be a long time before I’m comfortably literate in either of these computer languages.

Survey of XML Standards
XML has vendors? Are there like XML conventions? Are they at ComicCon? ‘Cause if they are, I’ll totally go see them (since SCALA will be having a booth there at ComicCon anyways, not that I'm plugging SCALA or anything, nope no conflict of interest here)! Having a person actually give you an elevator speech on the importance of XML and its use would be so much more motivating and intriguing than (at this Debbie Downer part of the semester) trudging through useful, but difficult, articles.

Introduction to XML
You’d think after nearly 18 years of formal education I’d not be such a doofus. I totally should have read the Intro first! This was an excellent, concise, and clear explanation about why I should give a flying fudge about XML. Don’t think I’m converted to the good church of XML just yet, but I think I will go back and reread the other articles now that I’ve read this.

1 comment:

Petunia said...

I, too, only have a peripheral understanding of XML and HTML but it seemed to me that while XML does allow the creator more freedom, it creates more confusion with tag and DTDs. I guess I don't understand how more individuality in tagging while help with creating a more uniform format to facilitate searches.