By all accounts, this was one of those pure technology events, reminiscent of those hosted by the Open Software Foundation or the Object Management Group. It homed in on vagaries in the Web Services Description Language (WSDL), a protocol fundamental to defining Web services interoperability. Rather than focus on which toolkits won or lost, the objective was to solve as many problems as possible over the course of two days. The confab was a resounding success, marred only by the absence of Sun, which is reportedly in negotiation with Microsoft and IBM to join the new Web Services Interoperability (WS-I) Organization.

All attendees were members of Yahoo's SOAP Builders group, the most active independent Web services forum. Many of these same companies are also charter members of the WS-I, founded just a few weeks ago by Microsoft and IBM. Pat O'Brien, VP of product strategy for Iona, speculates that the WS-I and SOAP Builders may soon establish a more formal relationship.

In the interest of preserving its effectiveness and neutrality, SOAP Builders needs to retain its cooperative, grassroots character--and the WS-I should insulate it from inter-company rivalries. SOAP Builders was sparked by XMethods.net, a Web services directory launched as a public service by engineers Tony and James Hong way back in August 2000. The Hong brothers' efforts and those of SOAP Builders in raising important questions show the dramatic effects of letting developers plunge into promising new technology for its own sake. At this early stage--when most of us sense the heady potential of Web services but no one has yet figured out how to make money off them--the ball moves forward only when as many good developers as possible experiment and communicate. It's worth considering letting a few resources loose yourself.