April 22, 2005

Announcing the ChannelXML project AND yours truly will be hittin' the airwaves :D

From my recent post to XML-DEV in response to a post from Jonathon Robie in regards to a revalatory announcment made by Adam Bosworth at the MySQL conference earlier today (I believe. Ill make sure). While I amnot surprised that others have realized the same thing I have I am surprised to find out that it is Google who is giving into decentrlization and is preparing there business for just that day.

Well, here I was thinking I would be able to slip my ChannelXML project under the radar but I dont think that is the case anymore... So, while its not quite ready to be sent out to the early beta testers (I will be looking for more soon and will ask for volunteers via this blog in the not to distant future) I think its probably a good idea to at least get the anouncment out there and begin preperations for a day in the not too distant future that this project will be going live on the WorldWideWeb and there will be no looking back from there. :) My post and its continued follow-up is below...

[UPDATE: I seemed to somehow miss 6 or so of the key technology explanation paragraphs. I've added them back][EXTENDED-UPDATE: Uh, yeah, they were definitely paragraphs missing from this article. Where they were in the original order of things I have to admit I'm having a tough time attempting to discover. Tell you what, just pretend your reading "Yet Another Random Thought Post That Doesn't Make Any Damn Sense" and nothing should seem out of the ordinary. Cool :) Problem solved ;)]

Ummmmm... this is really quite [strange||funny||eerie||whotold'em] ... Well, I think I needed a reason to simply get this project up and out the door anyway so no worries... it wont be today but it will be soon -- probably by Monday or Tuesday in early alpha format for access for a subset of develoeprs, many of which are already fully aware that there name is on "the list".

While I cant say I was ever all that worried, fortunately there are enough people who are aware of my ChannelXML.com project and know the details that I can feel safe not being termed some sort of copycat. You see, beyond the actual content contained within the developed system and the functionality provided to view and search this system the primary focus of this project is to decentralize the servers by never centralizing them in the first place and implementing a grid-like network in which the line between client and server is not just blurred, it flat out doesnt exist. Each node on the system (I will give you and overview of all the technologies going into this project below -- the following are not the only two, I can assure you :) is driven by two primary applications and one application interface. Anyone want to take a guess as to what these might be? :) At the heart of it all is Subversion. The C# interface into Subversion is driven by SubversionSharp, and the #1, all knowing, all powerful, or if nothing else he sure does have his fingered diritied by anyone or anything that comes anywhere near him is Saxon.NET.

[UPDATE: I missed several paragraphs somehow when I moved this from the email I posted to xml-dev -- yeah, probably a good thing I copped it back down to two paragraphs and move the rest -- well, temporarily missing some of the more key paragraphs containing explanations of what the project is about]

[This previously missing paragraphs start here]

If not obvious each and every node on the system will be enabled to both create, delete, and merge together channel content that exist on their server in which they created and defined. Each and every node on the system will also be able to access any other "Channel" on the system, as long as they have credentials to do so. While no final determination has been made it is more than likely that SSH will become the primary identification and access technology used on the project. All Channels can be labeled either public, private, personal, or 'membership required'. There may be more security keywords put into place as needed but I hope to try and keep things as simple as possible. It should be fairly obvious what these keywords mean from a security standpoint.

While initially the system will lack an extensive amount of application capability this will quickly change as this system continues to develop and push forward into a larger community base when the time feels right to do so. There are no set goals for when things will be ready as I believe that to be done properly and complete the necessary time for development and testing must be allowed. There will be a core set of applets and applications in which will be core members of the ChannelXML domain. Beyond this the only limitations that will be placed upon extended application development is both the capabilities built into the Java and .NET platforms as well as any security restrictions placed by any given domain that is registered as part of this system.

While the primary content for each of the channels will originally be delivered/accessed using the RSS and ATOM feeds provided by their source I plan to develop a simple "permission slip" system in which a normal non-XHTML based web page owner can give explicit permission to be "tidied" and as such completely queriable using XPath 1.0/2.0, and XQuery. Explicit permisson must be obtained by the sites owner before acessing and then indexing any content. that is non-XHTML or XML compliant While I cant say I know of or have even heard of any numbers I'm confident that a huge majority of the web is delivering non XML or XHTML content to its users. While XSLT 1.0/2.0 could be used for this, unless theres a recognized advantage in using XSLT XPath and XQuery will be the primary technologies used to either update or "change" the channel. While support for a basic URI system will be put into place it will be XPath and XQuery that will be carrying the referencing and access workload as with an

The ChannelXML project (see below for a legend as to what each licensed top tier domain will be used for.) utilizes 2 primary platforms, 3 primary applications (not including the specialized applications built from the ground up specific to this project) 5 primary development languages, 2 experimental development languages, 1 primary (yet still VERY expirimental) cross-domain-common-language-interface and processing engine, one WS-* wrapper technology who's primary (better said, only) purpose is to provide a common interface to the land of WS-* to ensure responsibility of support and maintenance is left in our own hands as well as to ensure that the specific needs of the blogging communities are handled through an easy to use and understand interace.

Ok, so what does ChannelXML do? Its pretty simple. And are you ready for this? (pay attention Microsoft as this may bring back some memories) The entire underlying Channel definition, subscription, content update notification, etc.. interface -- or in other words the way you create a content channel, explain to the system what content you want it to contain, where to find that content, what images you want to associate with this channel, and how often you want to syncronize the content for each member of this channel is a technology entitled "CDF" or Channel Definition Format -- which is historically the very first XML-based technology to makes its way to the streets [this tidbit came in conversation I had with Tim Bray last October so I feel safe stating it as fact]

(.com will be the primary interface, .net the communication channel in which all server members of all domains will, well communicate, .org will be the underlying structure of individuals and corporations who will help keep things in order and on target as well as to allow representation from the various committees and group already in existence (or potentially developed specifically for ChannelXML representation of a specific interest) that ensure that everyone is keeping to the guidlines set for by the various disability acts that guarentee that the rights of its members are met, no one is left behind, nor is anyone forgotten about.

[and end here]

Along with this half annoucment/half "I'd better say something now before I lose any and all credibilty for developing this project." :) So, while there is no official start date (still a lot of line and equipment installation and testing to finish) I will be beginning production of an XML and related technology talk show that will eventually be phasing into a daily format that is delivered for distribution through the main ChannelXML.com repository. If you have any sort of impression that I seem to type a lot -- my friend, you have no idea whats about to hit you when you experience how much more I can say when I'm speaking. But dont worry, I wont be the only one. One of the primary objectives of the ChannelXML project will be to open the "airwaves" in both sight and sound and allow for quick, easy, and freely accessible delivery to anyone and everyone who may want to hear, watch, or read what you have to say. ChannelXML.tv will be completey devoted to both the existing cable and broadcast style television but even more so towards bringing the world of colorful sites and sounds from any given source on the system and based on permissions made available to all of those in whom have permission to view it. Obviously this will open the door to a lot of junk but theres a lot of junk on regular television as well and somehow it still survives. None-the-less, every technology and specification that is making attempt to bring some sort of sanity to the quality of content out there will be evaluated and if it seems effective, implemented.

I plan to continue this thread on XSLTBlog but a few more important points:

- The main source code for this project will be delivered, for the most part, as open source. That doesnt necessarily mean that there are no or will not be licensing fees involved. With that said there will never be a charge for any use of this system for individuals and non-profit organizations. In fact even the individual employees of a corporation will never find themselves having to pay any fees to gain access to the system. However, I am in no way going to make any requirements that any particular channel that is created on the system must absolutely give access to this content to anyone and everyone who claims they want it. If you are a private organization and want to charge a membership fee for access to content or if your a software development firm and want to charge fees for access to your web services there will be no limitations placed on you to keep you from doing this. However, where there is profit being made from utilizing the resources on the system there will, at least eventually, be fees associated with this. They will be minimal and designed as an easily justifiable way to help keep a system designed for free and easy access to free and easy speach, free to be used by anyone at anytime -- yep, just like the WorldWideWeb.

With this said please keep in mind that ChannelXML will be set-up (I say set-up in the sense that as time moves forward I expect there will be a continued enrollment of members in whom have interests staked in this project and want to ensure that these interests are being served, etc...) as a non-profit organization in which any fees collected by the main organization will be used for the ongoing development of infrastructure and content as well as the day to day maintenance of a project with potential for such a grand scale. Third-tier ChannelXML domains will always have a fee associated with them unless the requestor is a non-profit and it can be shown that the desired domain does not infer a profiteering type business, get in the way of a company in whom would be using the domain for a profiteering business, nor does it encroach upon the trademarks and copyrights of existing corporations in which through various laws passed over the years could quite easily claim that third tier domains on heavily trafficked sites can easily be construed to belong to another entity all together and therefore are in violation of copyrights, etc... While there has been no official licensing put into place for any of this it is in the works and will fall under the domain OpenUnderstanding.com which will be a site devoted to the creation and protection of a new type of systems and domains licensing program which can entail any number of open and closed source components, royalties for content be redistributed with permission, but for a fee, Talk Shows that play a song that requires a royalty fee to be paid, etc..)

One other thing to note and then I am back to hacking more code -- ANY channel that utilizes the directory structure under the root of the site will never, ever, EVER be charged any licensing fees. The primary objective of the non-profit org overseeing this project is to create a system in which the mass majority of users can gain the benefits of those who are willing to pay fees to gain greater notice or to license particular rights to distribute good and services related to this project, etc... etc... etc... As far as advertisements go I am currently reserving the right to implement an advertising system on the top portion of the interface that will always interface back into the main system if and only if the need for additional funding arises. I hope that this day never comes and I believe this is achievable if a proper licensing sytem it put into place and the value of justifying paying such licensing fees will be considered a no brainer and is sufficient to keep everything else free of clutter. Keep in mind though I am placing no restrictions upon the advertisements one might place within there subchannel that they make available on the system (e.g. An exisiting webzine might create a channel in which you can easily access quick overviews to the content or if your a subscriber, access to all of the content. While this doesnt make sense until you see what I am refering to everything below the bottom of the ChannelXML separtion bar belongs to whomever creates the channel. There will be requirements that ALL adult related channels must accuarately represent their content via a ratings system and will have the added restriction that private servers must be set up at there own expense to actually host any content. No adult material will be allowed to be "buddy-syncronized" as is allowable for any other type of content on the system. The reason for this is simple. Protection of our children.

This will be an ongoing post over the next few days...