Interesting question.

I haven't used this stuff, so my answer was based on very limited knowledge and was wrong. I'm a bit confused about this stuff. The page referenced in the explanation looks on the surface as if it clears things up, but leaves something of a problem; a better explanation could maybe clear this up (BOL doesn't, as far as I can tell). I suspect the answer to todays QOTD is right although the page it references doesn't actually support it (it doesn't distinguish between metadata and other things the package contains, while the schema for a package makes that a very clear distinction) because I am inclined to regard the BOL documentation in this area as self-contradictory so I am probably better off believing the answer than questioning it.

But I'm still confused, and some clarification would be useful. The problem is that the information available on various BOL pages appears to contain contradictions. The Model Deployment Package XML Schema (Master Data Services) page states that the package is an XML file with a particular schema, and defines that schema: the schema appears to have no place for subscription views; but the BOL page referenced in the explanation says the package does contain subscription views; the schema puts business rules outside of the metadata element, as something separate, which contradicts the answer (but not the page it references: that page says the package contains business rules, it doesn't say they are part of the metadata - and that would make me suspect the answer today was wrong, if I could trust BOL); another BOL page (can't remember which) says that all user metadata is contained in subscription views - which seems to suggest that if user-defined metadata is not allowed in the package it can't contain subscription views, another apparent contradiction in BOL; collections are not mentioned anywhere in the schema, but the answer and the page it references says they are in the package, another contradiction.

I guess people can see why I'm confused; maybe someone can tell me which bits of BOL I should believe on this topic?