1.	Should we view Microsoft in the same way? Yes, absolutely. First, the history is important here. There was a time, not long ago, when we were doing daily back-and-forths with the Microsoft people. The process worked, it yielded a spec that many are saying is elegant and simple and useful. Every bit of praise that XML-RPC has gotten equally belongs to Microsoft. Now we have to go more slowly and carefully because there are compatible cross-platform implementations.
2.	Reason #1. Microsoft is a collection of developers, many of whom do fine work. Their vision is compatible with ours. By choosing to work with Microsoft we empower the people within Microsoft who want their company to embrace change. We were able to easily get into agreement with them in the past, so I'm willing to continue investing in that premise.
3.	Reason #2. Microsoft has hundreds of products and hundreds of millions of users. Compatibility with their users is a huge carrot.
4.	Reason #3. Microsoft, like it or not, is a leader. The spec they implement will be the spec that dozens if not hundreds of other developers will implement. Having them publicly support a spec that we co-designed will surely bring us prestige and attention, and probably get the involvement of a few of their competitors, who so far have either ignored XML-RPC or signalled that they plan to implement their own format.
5.	Reason #4: I've been briefed on the changes they want. They are reasonable, pass the good-idea test I used in evaluating Lundh's idea, they do not invalidate the current spec, so won't add FUD to the mix. I'm very sensitive to that. We have forward motion, and will protect that motion with all my power.