Understanding the benefits of interoperability

While designing proprietary technologies might be exciting, fun, and a quick way to start experimenting and learning, it might not always be the best option. Often, there are alternatives. Others have often solved similar problems and created solutions that you might explore. Some of these might even include technologies that have been standardized by recognized standardization bodies. While these technologies might restrict you at first glance, they provide several positive advantages as well. One of these is peer review. Often, simple and obvious mistakes are caught and corrected during peer review. Experience gained during experimentation is fed back into the process, resulting in better design. Standards are more stable, and do not change quickly over time. Changes are also made in a way which avoid breaking compatibility. This...