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Why Not Store Outline data in a Database, rather than an outline? I must respond to Tom's post that poses the question, as others have, as to why put data into an outline when you can store it in a database? It is a logical question, but I think that the idea here is that in the relatively recent life of the "net", we have been trained to think that if you need to store data, you put it in a database. However, there are certain limitations to storing data in a database. Yes, I admit, storing data in a database is a way of organizing that data. However, once you have decided on a database design, you are locked into that design, until you change it. The work required to change the database design, automatically introduces limitations. Also, the design is locked into a hierarchical view of data. A top-down view if you will. In my opinion, data stored in databases forces us to take myopic, silo-type views of data. In reality, there is a kind a chaotic, inter-connected, and highly dynamic interchange that could and does take place with data. I think outlines, and OPML give us a more higly developed model of what data could be. Think of RSS. If people tried to shoehorn RSS into databases, we would not have the dynamic, high performance free flow of data that we have today. But, RSS is free of the dataase, because you don't need to store it millions of times, you just link to it and flow it through. It's the same with OPML and what will happen in the future with it. We can't even begin to imagine how useful outline data is, and how it will be used. But, we do know that it's use, and adoption is very important to the future of the internet, and how we share data and information.
There is more, but I just can't think of it right now. Architek has a Teriffic Picture for OPML Users Architek provides us with a wonderful post. It reminds me to think bigger. The OPML Hoisting Blues Allright! Wahoo! We have a little ditty by fellowess(?) OPML'r AmyLou doing the Hoisting Blues! Okay, a 1 a 2... OPML Server Coming Soon Dave Winer has announced that the OPML server is coming soon. I am anxious to get my hands on it. I am sure that this will be REAL interesting, as to how this all shakes out. |
Last modified: Friday, October 31, 2008 at 6:25 PM.
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