Why did SGML fail to tip ?
We had all been reading Malcolm Gladwell s best seller, The Tipping Point, so the question was a natural. Mark Baker, leading the discussion, pointed out that SGML appeared on the technical publications scene about the same time as desktop publishing in the mid-80s. He suggested that SGML failed to tip because of competition from desktop publishing, which did tip. Desktop publishing tipped, as CIDM members argued, because it addressed a strong need among technical communicators to produce attractive, readable print content. I recall being excited about the possibility of producing typeset copy without the costs associated with professional typesetting. It brought typesetting within our reach for the first time and freed us from ugly typewriter fonts and the time-consuming process of paste-up. SGML, on the other hand, was adopted by only a few major corporations in specific industries. Because of the high cost of entry, only automotive, aerospace, semi-conductor, or telecommunications g
