[topicmapmail] Should resourceData have a MIME type?

[Murray Altheim]

Paul Goldstein wrote:

> Not to be annoying, but doesn't this problem apply to baseNameString as 
> well? I mean its perfectly allowable to include html as part of your 
> baseNameString, not that I've ever seen it done.


I'm not sure what you're referring to -- in XTM there are no allowed
inclusions of other namespace'd markup (other than XLink as specified).


> If we are not going to allow scope to solve the problem, then 
> baseNameString seems like it has the same problem as resourceData. I 
> don't think the fact that baseName includes variant elements really 
> solves the problem, you still may want to put html or other formatted 
> data in baseNameString (although I don't think I would).


You point out the error in approaching this specific instance of
MIME type: there are *many* potential metadata needs out there, so
why limit things to MIME type? Why not just open up the floodgates
and allow all manner of markup in XTM? A: Then nobody could reliably
intercommunicate XTM documents.

Sorry to be so grumpy about this, but I've seen many simple and
functional technologies made similarly complex, unimplementable,
and proprietary by acceding to the demands of every project's
individual needs. I'm very wary of all the proposals to extend
XTM simply because it currently (IMO) hits the 80/20 point in
its design, and (again, IMO) we're now hearing from the other 20%.

Murray

......................................................................
Murray Altheim                  <http://kmi.open.ac.uk/people/murray/>
Knowledge Media Institute
The Open University, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK7 6AA, UK

      In the evening
      The rice leaves in the garden
      Rustle in the autumn wind
      That blows through my reed hut.  -- Minamoto no Tsunenobu