"The use of Microsoft's technology in the combined specification meant the company could specify a license that potential users would have to agree to before using the code. America Online recently said it would not support Sender ID, citing poor industry support and compatibility issues with the antispam technology, SPF, that it supports."
Excellent to hear. (Not.)
 
I can only imagine what will happen with syndication standards when they become important to AOL, Microsoft and the like.
 
Folks, this is a prime example of why its so true that the only standard that has real importance are the ones that you and I use. Please don't get sucked into the RSS v. ATOM debate any quicker than you would get sucked into the SPF v. Sender-ID debate. Get sucked into the "Dear Mr. Vendor, please make sure your applications work for me in the way that I want them to or I'm going to take my $$$ somewhere else" dialogue. Standards specifications, once implemented, should just work for you - don't get fooled into believing that they have any more importance than enabling functionality for you. Companies drape themselves with various standards flags because they realize this and try to leverage it to their economic advantage (i.e. by locking you into one proprietary way of doing things or otherwise "owning" you). If the standard supported by your vendor of choice doesn't give you what you need *cough*ATRAC*cough* vote with your dollars and buy something that does give you what you need *cough*MP3*cough*. If you have any doubt whether the product you need supports the standards you need, then simply buy the product that the most other people are using - avoid making standards judgements entirely.
 
Even animals are smart enough not to just eat whatever is put in front of them - they will almost always smell it first, decide if eating it is a wise move and then feast or move on. Is it becoming clearer to you why companies refer to their bread and butter as "consumers"? Consumption is a mindless activity that doesn't include forethought or judgement. Companies would be well served to start thinking of their customers as "smellers" before we get really upset.
 
Lesson of the day: If you know someone who owns a netMD, have them over for dinner - but *don't* spend a fortune on food and drink for them - in fact, Gatorade and KD should suffice - they won't notice the difference as long as you are meeting their basic food energy requirements.
 
 
 
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