Two examples of semi structured data.

Why do I call them semi-structured? Well, it's clear to me that each of them adheres to some structure that is a little more rigid than "plain text". It's also clear to me that control over coherence of the content is not unified.

I never really wanted to learn anything about either the registry or cookies. In both cases, I was forced into it by people who wanted to control the desktop machine I had purchased with my own money. In some cases, they felt they were acting on my behalf, doing what I would approve if only I were as smart as they are. In other cases, it was a deliberate attempt to control my eyeballs and eardrums against my will.

In either event, I developed a "need to know" that is like my "need to be well" when I have the flu. Come to think of it, the flu is caused by a virus.

I still know very little about either one. I'm not seeking a lot of technical detail in this discussion, although links to good technical websites would be helpful. What I want to do is use them as examples of semi structured data.

In what ways to they illustrate the benefits and pitfalls of semistructured data? How do they compared with structured data? How do they compare with unstructured data?

In what ways do they fail to exemplify semi-structured data? What are some features of semi structured data that are obscured rather than clarified by the theme of this discussion? Received on Fri Aug 20 2004 - 16:13:59 CEST