xmlhack.com has started a new mailing list: xml-hypertext, "an open forum for the discussion of creating hypertext with XML. Appropriate subjects include technologies for linking and pointing, hypertext-oriented transformations, and interactions between XML and Web infrastructure."

Conversations about XML and hypertext have been scattered for a long time. The xlxp-dev list disappeared, www-xml-linking-comments is primarily a comments list for the XLink and XPointer specifications, and xml-dev, xsl-list, www-tag, XHTML-L, and www-html all have other projects on which they need to focus. The RDF and Topic Maps communities are definitely involved in hypertext and XML, but also have other priorities and applications.

Although hypertext is far from a dominant application of XML, there still seems to be plenty of interest in the subject. The Hypertext Town Hall at XML 2002 was both thought-provoking and well-attended (especially for a night session up against a large Microsoft Office demo, a Topic Maps Town Hall, and an XML and Databases Town Hall).

Participants in both the Town Hall and various recent discussions (notably XLink/HLink) clearly have strong opinions and visions for what they'd like to see XML doing for hypertext and how they would like that to work. While the XLink Working Group may have ended at the close of last year, interest in linking continues. I hope that the recent publication of Micah Dubinko's SkunkLink and my own VELLUM will encourage further discussion of these issues and perhaps let us expand the reach of XML for hypertext.

The xml-hypertext@xmlhack.com list is designed to bring these many discussions together into a forum that focuses more squarely on hypertext. xml-hypertext is an unmoderated list, though only subscribers may post.

The archives are public, and subscription information is available. The welcome message provides some additional information about possible list directions.