Ep#6: Tim Bray: How did the internet learn to 'read' and organize information?

Ep#6: Tim Bray: How did the internet learn to 'read' and organize information?

From Rule-Breakers by PROPYLON

August 4, 2025 · 59 min · Season 1 · Episode 6

About this episode

Sean interviews Tim Bray about his contributions to digital documents and the evolution of XML and Markdown.

Sean talks to Tim Bray, a true pioneer in the world of digital documents and computing. Tim talks about his early work, including the groundbreaking Oxford English Dictionary (OED) project at the University of Waterloo. Tim went on to co-create the foundational XML standard that powers so much of the web today. Exploring the surprising prevalence of XML in places like WhatsApp, Tim offers his perspective on the growing importance of Markdown in an AI-driven world and its bright future for entry-level text styling.

People in this episode

Guest: Tim Bray

Topics covered

  • internet
  • digital documents
  • XML
  • Markdown
  • AI

Keywords

  • OED
  • University of Waterloo
  • WhatsApp
  • text styling

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Markdown, XML

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