WS-Addressing 1.0 passed the last two predictable hurdles in the last week in it’s march towards completion.  Last Tuesday, the required interop matrix filled up, allowing the WG to declare the spec sufficient to enable interop between vendors.  But the push for interop didn’t end there!  We needed four implementations interoperating, and we have 5 at 100%, with a sixth awfully close.  Optional features also over-acheived.  I put together a little rollup in the test results to show our progress and the minimum we’d need to declare victory. I think it shows we blew past our requirements.  This is a significant milestone in Web Services, as the energy throughout the stack seems to be shifting dramatically towards proving interop rather than writing specs.

And then another milestone yesterday, with the Working Group accepting the test results and the specs as complete, and referring them to the Director, who, with the advice of the Advisory Committee, should move them to final Recommendation in the coming weeks, hopefully without any fuss.  Congratulations to all those contributing to this effort!

At the tail end of the W3C plenary, Paul and I were able sneak away for a couple of stunning caches. First was one in the Esterel mountains, reached by climbing narrow winding roads through steep valleys topped by red rock outcroppings I and draped in sheets of blooming yellow Mimosa trees.

We eventually wound our way to the top of a ridge, looking down the length of a rugged valleys. A broad path, probably a logging road, led along the top and we traversed back and forth, trying to find the easiest way down the slope the last tenth mile To the cache.

At last we picked our way down through the wild lavender, tea trees, and scrubby cork trees, finding a boulder which sheltered the cache and wayposted a decent trail that led directly back to the car (oh well!)

As we opened the cache the wind sprung up with a vengeance, but died out again as we closed the cache back up. Perhaps someone left a genie in the cache? Photos are part of the Cannes set, starting here.

The second cache was a straightforward two-stage multi cache that led as on a circumnavigation of Ile Sainte-Marguerite, which is the "Angel island" of Cannes.  A short boat ride, awesome views of the sea (complete with windsurfers and kites), the Esterel Mountains, Cannes, and the snowy alps in the distance. Very nice!  Again photos are part of the Cannes set, starting here.