"This article is primarily complaining about the hardness of certain problems and then castigating XML for not magically solving them."

That was precisely the point of the article. XML is (often) sold as magic, when it is anything but. I go into a few of the problems with XML in the article, but it is mostly a rant against the hype.

I wrote (in 1999):

"Data transfer standards are fine, and XML is as good a choice as any. Just don't think that it won't take its pound of flesh, just like every other technology known. My guess is that it will be one of those technologies of the future that always remain so."

I leave it to you whether I was a prophet .