Buzzword hype gone mad

August 21, 2003 11:17:10.552

The Register shows us that the XML buzz has gone to absurd extremes - now they are ttalking about XML machines - you know, as in Von Neumann machines. Pass the popcorn; silly season has definitely arrived....

Comments

XML Machines, List Machines, Smalltalk Machines

[Ziv Caspi] August 21, 2003 13:55:51.643

How is this different than, say, Lisp machines?

Re: XML Machines, List Machines, Smalltalk Machines

[James Robertson] August 21, 2003 18:31:56.118

Comment on XML Machines, List Machines, Smalltalk Machines by James Robertson

Lisp is a programming language; XML is a markup notation....

Re: Re: XML Machines, List Machines, Smalltalk Machines

[Michael Lucas-Smith] August 21, 2003 20:36:56.107

Comment on Re: XML Machines, List Machines, Smalltalk Machines by Michael Lucas-Smith

What they really want is an XSL machine :)

Code vs Data

[Ziv Caspi] August 22, 2003 6:02:34.725

If code is the same as data, then data is the same as code. Or is it the other way around :-)

But isn't this Lisp?

[MishMash] August 22, 2003 16:28:38.337

Trackback from MishMash

But isn't this Lisp?

Update:James Robertson doesn't get the point (see his answer to Ziv Caspi's first comment). XML is markup of data, and in Lisp as, apparently, in "Morphyc", code is data. So the approach is, as demonstrated by Lisp, undoubtedly powerful. It...

Re: Code vs Data

[Michael Lucas-Smith] August 23, 2003 19:49:56.162

Comment on Code vs Data by Michael Lucas-Smith

The problem with data is it is meaningless. Something needs to interprete data to turn it in to information. Lots of people think code is data, but it is information, or in some cases, meta-data. Computers interprete compiled information and turn it in to knowledge. So if you try to write a whole new language using data, you need to either a) map the information you garner to the computers knowledge center or b) create a virtual computer to enact knowledge. A VM is (b). So next time some one suggests creating a data-driven application, try to remember the above and then you might like to pursued them not to do it.

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