From: Tyler Close <tyler@waterken.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2002 21:01:56 -0400
Subject: [e-lang] Beta testing for Waterken RDB Webizer

I am looking for beta testers for a new Waterken product: Waterken
RDB Webizer.  The product is an implementation of the WOMP for
relational databases.

As Zooko has frequently pointed out,  the pollsters say that the
major concern regarding web services is the lack of a security
story. A major goal in the design of WOMP was to provide a
capability-based solution to this need. In addition to the openly
stated security need, I've heard a lot of rumblings about how J2EE
style development is just too hard for your typical web developer.
In response to these needs, I've created Waterken RDB Webizer. It
enables your typical SQL programmer to create a secure web
service. All you have to do is create XML configuration files that
contain the SQL. There's no Java or other procedural programming
involved.

There's a lot more information on the waterken.com website,
including an in depth tutorial.  See:

http://waterken.com/dev/SQL/ 

All the docs are openly accessible online, but to get the beta
code, you have to send me an email.  The final product will require
a paid license.

I have many hopes for this product.  Of chief interest to E, and
other capability environments represented on this list, is that
the product gives us a way to leverage the web services movement.
The web services created with Waterken RDB Webizer are based on
the WOMP. This means that we can pre-populate the online world
with interesting services that can be manipulated using
capabilities.

I'm reminded of a remark that Mark Miller made to me about the
importance of FTP readme files to the adoption of the WWW.  A major
hurdle to the adoption of a distributed hypertext system is
getting an initial pool of things to link to. When developing
Xanadu, Mark worried about how this initial pool of hypertext
could be created. Mark pointed out that a crucial step in the
success of the WWW was the use of existing FTP readme files as the
initial document pool. markm

Distributed capabilities also face this bootstrapping issue. 
Without interesting services to transact with, a distributed
capability system is much less useful.

Much of the world's interesting data resides in corporate
relational databases.  There is a movement to make this data
accessible to outside participants. This movement is currently
going by the name of "web services". If we can steer this movement
towards the capability model, then we can simultaneously fill an
existing need and pave the way for better things in the future.
This is a rare opportunity. It is not often that a group is ready
with a solution for both today and tomorrow when the opportunity
presents itself.

After beta testing, the big trick will be getting an audience in
the marketplace.  I would appreciate any help list members could
provide with this.

Tyler 
_______________________________________________
e-lang mailing list
e-lang@mail.eros-os.org
http://www.eros-os.org/mailman/listinfo/e-lang