Always looking to hold the XML community to account, xmlhack writers are embarking on an exclusive exposé this week at XML 2000 in Washington, D.C. The fact is that the members of the respected community of XML experts don't always make total sense.

Please note that names have been removed from the following quotes, to protect the book sales of the guilty.

"And then you can start making topic maps. I got started and couldn't stop. It was horrible."

"What direction are Admiral Fairchild's shoes pointed right now?"

"Just to have one ontology on the net. Everyone in his garage has tried to make it work and failed. But I'm just thrilled to be part of this."

"Whoever said standards work wasn't fun didn't know what they were talking about."

"Industrial groups all seem to want to do standards, but I want to underline the word 'seem.'"

"We have infoglut that we need to map."

"I can't figure out why it works... Well, you have to put the simple types inside the complex types, then it'll work."

"RFC 2396 is a steaming pile of ... technology."

"Where would people run Topic Maps processors? I'm not a marketer, how would I know?"

"Even though XML Schema looks as if it has everything in there, there are actually things we had to say 'no' to."