An ascetic view of XML best practices:

MonasticXML.org is a look at XML from a different angle, focusing on what markup is best at rather than what markup can do to solve a particular problem or set of problems. While XML is powerful, developers seem insistent on using XML in ways which seem convenient for a moment but which cause much greater trouble down the line to both their projects and to markup itself.

Looking at XML from the perspective of “what markup is good at” may seem dull, at least to those who thrive on extending technologies in creative ways. MonasticXML.org presents a deeply conservative view of markup in general and XML in particular, though it often turns out that discipline brings its own rewards. Paying attention to the details of how a technology works may not be as interesting as building large projects, but it may save time and energy over the long term.