RSS/Atom Wars - Peace In Our Time?
Hope shown at one time in history (not to draw exact parallels!):
In my view the strongest force of all, one which grew and took fresh shapes and forms every day war, the force not of any one individual, but was that unmistakable sense of unanimity among the peoples of the world that war must somehow be averted.
News yesterday:
In an attempt to lasso support from Google, a key proponent of the syndication format RSS has proposed that it merge with its challenger under the auspices of an Internet standards body.
I'm not taking any sides in the "RSS Wars". I don't have a dog in that fight, and it'd be much too dangerous for me.
I just hope I can get away with one observation, a generic consideration for all who over-rate the supposed revolutionary effects of blogs and such:
How can you route around big media, revolutionize society, create new forms of participatory democracy, solve deeply complicated social problems ... when "we" CAN'T EVEN AGREE ON A FORMAT FOR WEB SITE CONTENT SYNDICATION?!
Really. Site syndication is a "little" problem. Nobody is going to literally die over it. Not like access to health care, or poverty, or world wars.
But there's no popularity points for me in saying that. No gain, no win, no benefit. It will not be amplified, megaphoned, echoed. Which in a way, is a relevant statement itself.
Anyway, I wish the peacemaking efforts well.
By Seth Finkelstein | posted in cyberblather | on March 10, 2004 02:46 PM (Infothought permalink) | Followups
