[jdom-interest] Genesis of JDOM

[Elliotte Rusty Harold]

I'm working on the initial JDOM chapter for Processing XML with Java, an 
I'd like to include a few words about how it got started. I've heard 
various stories from Jason and Brett over the last couple of years, but 
my memory's hazy and I'd like to get something one the record if 
possible. So, here are a few questions:

1. I remember hearing that the initial idea came from an afternoon when 
Brett, Jason, and James Duncan Davidson were sitting on Jason's lawn. Is 
that accurate? Is there anything else you can add to that? If it's not 
accurate, what can you recall about the initial discussions before the 
first announcement?

2. I once heard Jason make an offhand comment, something like "The next 
time I dream up an open source project I'll pick somehting easier than 
an XML API, like an operating system maybe." Unfortunately I didn't 
write it down. :-( So, Jason, would you like to reporse whatever it is 
you actualkly said for the record?

3. Anybody else want to chip in with humorous anecdotes about the early 
days of JDOM?


-- 
+-----------------------+------------------------+-------------------+
| Elliotte Rusty Harold | elharo at metalab.unc.edu | Writer/Programmer |
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|           The XML Bible, 2nd Edition (IDG Books, 2001)             |
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|   http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0764547607/cafeaulaitA/   |
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