RE: [www-vrml] Tim BL Is Baffled, Too

["Bullard, Claude L (Len)" <len.bullard@intergraph.com>]

I'm not cross-posting this to X3D.   I suspect those 
working with X3D don't care too much about this kind 
of navel gazing at this time.

X3D has what VRML did not:

1.  An open source implementation that can serve as a reference.
2.  Work on conformance testing.
3.  A tightly focused design team with real implementation credibility.
4.  More bandwidth to support faster downloads.
5.  A real extensibility story with ongoing work.

The picture is better for X3D than it was for VRML.   VRML 
didn't quite make it but its successor has a better shot. 
Still, it needs applications.   VRML stumped its toe in the 
zeal for cyberspace/Snowcrash apps.   That was the wrong 
end of the complexity curve to be taking baby steps on. 
Every time the VRMLers overreached the technology, they 
gave it a black eye.   Every e-mail wasted on insulting 
Microsoft instead of working with them to get a better 
platform for 3D implementation hurt it's chances of getting 
better support on the desktop.  Every response to web service 
support that came back as "its not our problem" hurt its 
credibility as a useful rendering language for distributed 
applications.  Every "XML sucks" email robbed the VRML 
community of credibility with the rest of the web developers.

We did it to ourselves.  Now it is time to get on with 
life and with development of web-based real time 3D 
applications, a notch or two above banner ads.  We 
can't erode the confidence of customers we don't have. 

len


From: owner-www-vrml@web3d.org [mailto:owner-www-vrml@web3d.org]On
Behalf Of Clayton Cottingham

Great points!

All of which errodes customer confidence 

Nothing new here, points ive been stressing for years now
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