CNet Reports that Google engineers have created a new data interchange format to replace XML, called Protocol Buffers. It looks to be a good way to get around some of the issues of speed and usability that plague XML. Why does this matter on a tech policy blog? Because it drives home the message that Governments should not mandate or legislate document format standards because they change!
I’ve been publicly excoriated on Groklaw, interviewed by David Berlind at Gilbane Confab, and had a public wrestling match at Harvard all over the somehow controversial statement that Massachusetts should not mandate the ODF file format (or any other specific format for that matter – including OOXML).
Today’s story about Google building a better XML, or at least a specific data interchange format for certain uses, is the pitch perfect story to illustrate why governments must not mandate specific standards, and instead focus on a goals based approach.
In fact this quote from the CNet article really goes to the heart of the problem with a one size fits all solution to tech problems:
Like a lot of what Google’s engineering team does, this seems to make sense. XML has long been criticized as being too slow, which has led to controversial efforts to standardize XML compression.
But given the huge investment in XML, it doesn’t look like Protocol Buffers will replace it. Instead, it will be used–certainly by Google and likely others–for Web applications that need a very efficient way to move around data in multiple formats.
Clearly, XML’s dominance will keep it front and center, but smart people are trying to fix the problems around the edges – like moving data around in multiple formats. Or, say developing a format to manage text for better accessibility for people vision issues, or one that handles phones better…
The reality is simple, technology will move forward as long as you give it a path to do so. Forcing developers though legislative mandate to write only to XML based ODF or even OOXML is a mistake. Google’s Protocol Buffers is the proof.
But rather than just wave my “we win” flag, I think this announcement should force government folks to ask the question “why were we being pushed to accept ODF, and XML and the end all and be all of standards”?