Talking with a friend, he said back in the day we trusted the people who gave us the news. Walter Cronkite was his example. "And that's the way it is." #
I thought for a moment, he certainly seemed trustworthy, but viewed in hindsight, they were telling us lies, some big, some very big.#
TV made me want to become one of the people on TV. They were happy. We couldn't be happy until we were one of them. I remember as a kid firmly believing this was true. They knew everything, were infinitely wealthy, had everything they wanted, were loved by everyone they met. #
Walter Cronkite, who may not have been aware he was selling that lie, was selling it all the same. It wasn't until I was well into adulthood that I realized that it was a lie. I had given up a lot, aspiring to greatness. Only to learn there is no such thing. #
So yes, I think we did trust Walter Cronkite, but here's the thing, we shouldn't have.#
Most of the XML vs JSON stuff is bullshit, but this one is not. Having worked extensively with both formats, I have to say jerf has got it right. But there are two criteria that need to be added:#
4. If the format was designed before JSON existed, use XML.#
5. If there already is an XML format that does what you're doing, it's better to just use it, instead of inventing a new "better" one in JSON, because you'll still have to support the XML way of doing it, and net-net that's more complicated, more work and more confusing.#