Chapter 3 -- XML Standards

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Chapter 3

Standards are critical to the process of exchanging information. Without standards, we can't really do business. Take the value of a nation's currency, for example. Without a standard we all agree on, the value of the currency is arbitrary and can fluctuate. Unless currency has an established, fixed value—like a standard of measurement such as a meter or a liter—the currency can be whatever someone says it should be.

Having too many standards can be just as chaotic as having no standards. At a recent conference, someone turned to me and said, "There are so many standards for exchanging information. Just pick one!" Of course, if we all choose different standards, we can't communicate—we'd have chaos. Consider this: "You can drive on the left side of the road or the right side of the road—just pick one!"

The groups that I discuss in this chapter are committed to developing standards that everyone can agree on. They have found it helpful to bring interested parties together with the goal of creating unambiguous methods of communication.