There's been some confusion about the role of the advisory board. The purpose of this post to try to clear it up.

1. It's got a very conservative mission, to answer questions about RSS, to help people use it, to promote its use. It's basically a support function.

2. Anyone can extend RSS through namespaces. We suggest that people look first to see if there is a core element that already does what they need to do, and if so, use that instead of inventing a new one. That will keep the work of aggregator developers to a minimum, keep the barriers to entry low, help keep the market competitive. Competition should be based on features, performance and price, not compatibility. Compatibility should be easy.

3. Emphatically, this group is not a standards organization. It does not own RSS, or the spec, it has no more or less authority than any other group of people who wish to promote RSS.

# Posted on 5/18/04; 3:59:18 PM -