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Creation
Monday, March 9, 1998 XML is so cool! It stands for eXtensible Markup Language. We had a brownbag presentation (but I didn't see anyone eating their lunch) at work today, from Adam Bosworth, who heads the XML group at MS. A lot of what he said I already knew, but it was interesting to hear the rationales behind decisions that have been made. There are cool demos on the Microsoft XML site. The one he demonstrated (the auction site) requires you to install it on your own web server, which is a pain, but there are other samples there. They've done a good job on getting the word out, which you probably know if you follow web news. My fave Dave Winer has gotten the XML fever, because it fits so well with the powerful and flexible Frontier. Intellectual challenges are definitely valuable for me right now. I really enjoyed the talk!
Pamela O'Connell at personalweb.miningco.com linked to an interesting article today: Create or Be Created, by William Butler O'Connor. He talks about how the net and computers have lowered the barriers for culture creation. It's so much easier to create your own "art" (whatever you think "art" is) that the percentage of the population that actually does things, instead of just experiencing other folks' creations, will go way up. I agree with this. As he says, computers had already greatly eased technical issues in writing, music, and graphical arts. Now the net provides the distribution channel. Luke's essay on Building the Sacred at the solstice parade connects here in my mind. Many folks who come to help with FAC activities don't think of themselves as artists, but once they start working, they start creating. Tuesday morning: Luke wrote me, pointing to his essay on Parallel Culture as being even more closely related. He thinks, though, that O'Connor is too limited in scope here. People were creating and trading their own culture long before the net.
What a strange sensation, sorrow sweeping over me like a wave. I've been maintaining pretty well today. Jason left so many traces in different parts of my life. I sent him mail talking about this when he asked how I was doing this morning. I included the letter here, then changed my mind. It's better to keep it in the folder. If I'd known that last Tuesday was the last time we'd be seeing each other, I certainly wouldn't have chosen to go see a three hour movie!
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