About Echo, here's a tentative endorsement.

If and when it reaches closure, I will recommend to UserLand that they support the format, both for input and output, and I will help to the extent I can to write drivers for the software. I will continue to answer questions for the people working on Echo, and offer my opinion when it appears to be welcome, but will step back when it is not.

However I will also strongly insist, as a user, and major shareholder that UserLand continue to support RSS 2.0, for perpetuity. We made a commitment to our users to keep the ride as smooth as possible, and RSS 2.0 is an incredibly strong format, providing interop with lots of other software, and forms the backup format for Radio weblogs, and an interchange format with compatible weblog tools.

I will continue to recommend the format to all weblog tool and aggregator vendors, even plead with them to support it, even shame them into supporting it, because I feel, passionately, that it is essential for our nascent industry to not only provide a smooth ride for our users, and choice of tools, but to provide a smooth ride for content partners like the BBC, Christian Science Monitor, IDG, CNET, Ziff-Davis, Knight-Ridder, Apple, Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, etc. All these organizations, and many more, have stood up and supported RSS. We must respect that.

But I can support Echo because it appears to be respecting the Roadmap in RSS 2.0. That's much appreciated. Thank you.

Onward!

# Posted on 6/26/03; 3:29:33 PM