Reliable Messaging

So, given the well worn nature of the path I am on, how come that here in 2003 we have HTTPR[4], WS-Reliability[5], WS-ReliableMessaging[6], EBMS[7] and a host of other mutually repugnant 'standards' for solving the well understood problem of reliable messaging?

It is clearly not a situation that can be easily explained away on scientific innovation grounds. This is no longer a scientific problem. Indeed, the scientists no longer find the problem interesting, it is a solved* problem. So what are the technologists up to with their plethora of competing 'standards'?


The problem is, that each of these companies are working against each other. The problem is that unlike in most other industries, products in the software industry have more requirements for interaction among themselves, than most other industries (I'm probably wrong, but thats what it looks to me sitting here in my University Lab, trying to get an old Windows 98 computer to print to a Networked Printer over Samba). This more interaction breeds more misunderstandings and competitiveness than any other space.

And yes, I'm bored! I cant believe we still have to work with Windows 98!!!!