Web Services as RPC again!

"An XML web service is, to a first approximation, a wide-area RPC service in which requests and responses are encoded in XML as SOAP envelopes, and transported over HTTP.".
This extract from this piece is so not what I think an XML web service is.
If that is what it is then why not just badge any one of a zillion RPC centric distributed technologies and stick a layer of pointy brackets on top. Why re-invent it? Whats the point?
I think Web Services technology *does* need to be invented because its benefits come from it *not* being a wide-area RPC mechanism. Web servicies are not, as far as I'm concerned, distributed objects. If they are, its all a bit of a waste of time and money reinventing it isn't it?

Patents in e-Commerce - it would be funny if it were not so serious

[via Webmink]. A graphic illustration of the problem.

None of the above

Campaign for a "None of the Above" option on electronic ballots in Ireland.
Personally, I think a "MU" option would be an excellent addition.

Blogging XMLUSA

bloggers who will be blogging next weeks XML USA conference.

anti-links again

About this time last year I was noodling the pros/cons of a machine readable anti-linking mechanism.
Today I found this a really simple suggestion for how to do it with services like tinyurl. Isn't the Web's predisposition towards intermediation a great and wonderful thing?

Web Services are not distributed objects

A big Amen Brother to this piece by Werner Vogels.

Python programming for money

The Shuttleworth Foundation has some Python projects it would like to see done and some money to make it happen in 2004.