On Thu, 8 Jan 2004, Gerald Bauer wrote: >> >> We've had this discussion before. Instead of going over old ground, why >> don't you simply reply to my earlier e-mails on the subject? > > Ian, if you're serious about getting answers to your questions I suggest > writting up a fresh email.
Sure thing. I was getting a bit tired of having to look up all those posts each time anyway. Here are the questions to which I am "serious about gettings answers": 1. Do you intend this forum to result in the creation of a new UI markup language? 2. What advantage do users of XUL-based applications gain from having multiple XUL interpreters? Mozilla isn't a commercial product, so the usual advantages (increased stability and more features caused by healthy competition) are moot, as any potential authors of new implementations can simply put their expertise to use in fixing Mozilla. Competition is also not needed to keep anyone honest, since with free software, anyone can take the source and fix it and redistribute it if they feel like it. Similarly, it isn't required to keep new features being innovated, since pride in ones work and interest in the technology are what keep developers active in this community. And there are many disadvantages, such as compatability issues and versioning problems. 3. You once said "breaking XUL free from Mozilla will benefit everyone, that is, XUL, Mozilla and the Free World". What "XUL" are you "breaking free" from Mozilla? If by XUL you mean the generic concept of UI languages described in XML (which seems like an odd idea; why only XML? What's wrong with UIs described in other metamarkup languages?), then it isn't in any way restricted to Mozilla, as shown by your own research. Hundreds of people already have their own UI languages, described in XML and other formats, and have done for decades. So what is there to break free? On the other hand, if by XUL you mean the language defined, implemented, and used by Mozilla, then why do you claim that XUL is a generic term? And why would Mozilla want XUL to break free, given that Mozilla is already an open forum for the discussion of the XUL specification? (Also, why would doing any of this only benefit the "free world"? That seems like a strange term to use in a technical context. China, for example, is definitely not "free", but has a large IT industry and would benefit from these technologies as much as any other country.) 4. You once wrote: "I guess the latest news about the Timer Warner and Microsoft deal proves the point that "branding" XUL as a Mozilla-only technology is a dead-end". Could you explain why you think the two concepts are in any way related? 5. Why do you limit the scope of this discussion to XML languages? 6. You once said "if you design XUL using a closed door policy you're not getting anywhere" but XML was designed using a closed door policy. Does that mean XML will go nowhere? If so, why are you using it for your declarative UI language? 7. You once said that all you had seen from me was "hurling insults". Could you point out where I have been insulting? Based on past experience with discussing with you, I expect you to say "these are interesting questions, I suggest we wait a few days and think about them; maybe others can share their thoughts?", and fully expect you to ignore these questions just like you have ignored them before, despite you actually _inviting_ them. However, I _would_ like to read your answers, so invite you to take the time and reply to these questions. In the meantime, I must once again ask you to please stop using the term XUL to refer to languages that are not Mozilla's XUL language. Doing so, in particular your claims that Microsoft's XAML is XUL, is causing extreme confusion within our user base. Cheers, -- Ian Hickson )\._.,--....,'``. fL U+1047E /, _.. \ _\ ;`._ ,. http://index.hixie.ch/ `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.' ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by: IBM Linux Tutorials Free Linux tutorial presented by Daniel Robbins, President and CEO of GenToo technologies. Learn everything from fundamentals to system administration.http://ads.osdn.com/?ad_id=1470&alloc_id=3638&op=click _______________________________________________ xul-talk mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/xul-talk
