> Just because standards X and Y are independent standards does 
> not mean there should not be some W3C endorsed recommendations 
> about how the standards should interact.

I agree; and that is why W3C has started work on the XML Pipeline
proposal. 
> 
> It seems to me (as an outsider) that the W3C is not in touch 
> with the realities of developing software in the real world. 
> They are just happy to sit and create standard after standard 
> that address one piece of the puzzle and not how all the pieces 
> fit together. 
> 
XML Pipeline is indeed addressing how the pieces fit together.
> 
> A case in point, was the "bone headed" decision in XSLT 1.0 
> regarding the difference between node-sets and result tree 
> fragments. The decision was based on some purists idea of what 
> XSLT should be used for and not what people actual need to do. 

I wasn't there when the decision was made. With hindsight, it's easy to
see that the decision was wrong. But if you think the people who work on
W3C standards are all idiots, why don't you join the effort and see if
you can do better yourself?

Michael Kay 


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