"Ease" is the gradient of energy needed to change the state of mind from
unlearned to learned - when shallow, it is easy;  when steep, it is tough.
Laws of Physics require the statistical majority to seek out easier pathways
to get things done.

So if we assume the above, then perhaps we could glean from your
observation that it is easier to create one's XML vocabulary
than learn others' design of vocabulary.  It - the observed ease or 
difficulty -
is more a reflection of the creative expression aspect of mind of the
domain to be digitized under XML than XML itself.

Of course, I have no proof of the above.  But to the extent that it is easy
enough for you to understand (not necessarily agree with) the above ,
then the above would hold up well.

Sorry for the above musing.

cheers,
mc


At 08:40 PM 10/6/2008, Costello, Roger L. wrote:

>It's easy to create your own XML
>vocabulary, so why bother using someone else's?  I see it time and time
>again, people creating new XML vocabularies when there already exists
>an XML vocabulary that does the same thing. The result is we end up
>with a million XML vocabulary islands, which interoperate only by
>creating complicated translation mechanisms, or don't interoperate at
>all.  XML's low barrier to entry has been a mixed blessing for the Web.
>
>Comments?
>
>/Roger