First de facto standard Blog API was Blogger API by Evan Williams.  It was naive in design and had some design peculiarities like appkey puzzled others, but it worked.  Evan's "experimental" disclaimer lost its merit when his API was taken up by others without him complaining loudly about it.

Dave Winer then designed MetaWeblog API to supplement Blogger API with some notable overlaps in features.  MetaWeblog API is a classic example of 'embrace and extend' strategy which has many benefits as well as many problems.  One such benefit is taking of initiative which is the opening note of many war songs.

Both Evan and Dave had the opportunity to remove the danger of confrontation when MetaWeblog API was being designed.  Unfortunately, neither did so.  In fact, both aggrevated the situation by Dave not supporting appkey parameter from MetaWeblog API and Evan starting work on Blogger API 2.0.

I think both Dave and Evan are responsible for the mess we have today and I see little chance of a universal Blog API emerging for a while.  If I had the power to dictate things, I would have the Echo project adopt the union of Blogger API 1.0 and MetaWeblog API as Echo API 0.0 and extend it as needed without breaking backward compatibility.

Will everyone involved sacrifice their prides, ideals, and needs for the good of all?  Maybe, just itty bitty miraculous maybe.

Update #1: I thought I should make some of the implications of my proposal clear:

• Echo API 0.0 will be just as pretty as it is now.  Will you choose beauty and elegance over universal Blog API and continuity?
• Members of Echo project will control the future of the universal Blog API.  If you want some control, join the project.
• All the blogging tools will continue to work.
• XML-RPC binding must be supported.  SOAP and REST binding are up to the Echo project.

Lastly, I don't want people to send me their opinions, questions, nor criticisms.  Time for discussion is over.  If you want it to happen, just do your part without worrying about others doing their part.  Trust me, you have everything to lose by doing it, so mine as well do it without thinking about it.

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