I really don't understand how you can argue against this?

Actually, I think we are agreeing :)

My point was that I don't think the complexity issue is the source of the problem with interoperability. It is the lack of documentation for that complexity, and the lack of the will to document it. It's just another form of the universal ill of protectionism.

However, I don't think that protectionism through proprietary formats is the preserve of monopolies--though it is most effective and damaging there. For example, there is no monopoly in the RDBMS field, but the big four achieve a similar form of protectionism--usually termed 'lock-in'--through their proprietary extensions to the open standards.

In part, this is the fault of the conservatism of the standards bodies that are generally reluctant to incorporate new features and extensions to the standards before some (nearly impossible) level of universal consensus is reached. This means that the standards usually lag the requirements and possibilities of the leading edge by 5 or 10 years. In doing so, it creates the possibility for each producer to provide for the shortfall in proprietary extensions that effectively lock-in all their users that need the features and make use of the extensions.

Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.
Lingua non convalesco, consenesco et abolesco. -- Rule 1 has a caveat! -- Who broke the cabal?
"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".
In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

In reply to Re^12: Perl 6 Module manager by BrowserUk
in thread Perl 6 Module manager by zer

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