Norbert Mikula

Catalysts? Let's see what Merriam-Webster has to say about a "catalyst." cat·a·lyst: (noun, 1902) a substance (as an enzyme) that enables a chemical reaction to proceed at a usually faster rate or under different conditions (as at a lower temperature) than otherwise possible an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action Since I successfully left behind the nightmares and terrors of chemistry class when I graduated from high school (and I want these experiences to stay where they are, buried in my subconscious), let's focus on the second meaning of catalyst, "an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action." The history of the recent i-tech world is rife with stories about technologies that brought about change, dramatic change. Let's look at a few we are all familiar with: HTML, XML, and, of course, Web Services. HTML changed the world a... (more)

Creating the Semantic Web with RDF

For a few months, I was a member of the W3C RDF-Schema WG, so I looked forward to reviewing Creating the Semantic Web with RDF. I couldn't wait to see how the potential of RDF and the semantic Web would be explained without creating major digestive problems and headaches (or unintentionally developing a drug-free cure for insomnia). In general it was a pleasure to read this book by Johan Hjelm. It starts with the subject of metadata, what RDF is, and how RDF-Schema fits into the picture. The discussion is comprehensive, even if sometimes a bit lengthy for my taste. As a "bonus t... (more)

Secure Web Services

Security concerns, especially since the events of last Fall, are at the center of many industry discussions. Ever-increasing reports of hacker activities and security holes in well-known software products further fuel the debate, and rightfully so. Web services is a great new technology that will form the underpinning for electronic business of the future. So making Web services secure should be, and is, one of the activities our industry needs to focus on most. Beyond the very basic aspects of security, reliability, authentication and nonrepudiation issues, however, another re... (more)

Only at first glance...WSJ makes some sense of it all

There are plenty of jokes regarding the world of standards development, from "Standards are like sausages - you're better off not knowing how they were created" to the old-time paradox: "The good thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from." As a person who spends a considerable amount of time trying to keep track of the e-business technology landscape, I can appreciate the pain and frustration of anyone trying to make sense of the dozens of "standards" that are being developed by different organizations. Useful Reference Model While I can't promise to completel... (more)

Groundhog Day

So here we are, more than four years since XML (eXtensible Markup Language) first saw the light of the public day. We have come a long way since the early days. The XML hype started with a small group of experts who argued that SGML wasn't suitable for Web-based publishing and that HTML is pure evil anyway. Today, top-level executives of larger and smaller companies around the world announce that XML will solve all the problems of the world, including, but not limited to, the common cold. At this point, XML found its place - if perhaps only temporarily - next to all the other i... (more)