I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. So I ran over and said, “Stop! Don’t do it!”
“I can’t help it,” he cried. “I’ve lost my will to live.”
“What do you do for a living?” I asked.
He said, “I create web services specifications.”
“Me too!” I said. “Do you use REST web services or SOAP web services?”
He said, “REST web services.”
“Me too!” I said. “Do you use text-based XML or binary XML?”
He said, “Text-based XML.”
“Me too!” I said. “Do you use XML 1.0 or XML 1.1?”
He said, “XML 1.0.”
“Me too!” I said. “Do you use UTF-8 or UTF-16?”
He said, “UTF-8.”
“Me too!” I said. “Do you use Unicode Normalization Form C or Unicode Normalization Form KC?”
He said, “Unicode Normalization Form KC.”
“Die, heretic scum!” I shouted, and I pushed him over the edge.
(with apologies to Emo Philips)
(resurrected from a dead Dive Into Mark posting from 2004)