VOTable alternative?

[Alasdair Allan]

> No-one has suggested stopping any of the projects. My suggestion is that
> we devote some effort to investigating an xml-compliant *possible*
> alternative. Let's see if it works for catalog data then see if it makes
> the extension into the spectral and time-series area any easier. That
> doesn't stop anyone also investigating the feasibility of using VOTable
> for spectral and time-series data.

If we keep pushing ahead with the current VOTable stuff we'll reach a
certain point where we're in lock-in. People will have too much invested
in the format to start changing things (look at FITS, its awful, but you
couldn't get rid of it if you tried, and many people have).

People are happy with having things that work, so long as it keeps working
they aren't going to change things. If you give them some sort of XML
thing that does meta-data + data transport then they'll use it, and they
won't stop using it just because someone tells them they should. 

Once VOTable is in the wild, it'll be _very_ hard to do something as major 
as you're suggesting to it and carry everybody with you...

Al.