Wilbert Kraan on the e-Learning Scotland site has an article that discusses the theory versus reality of interoperability between virtual learning environments.  He makes some good points, but seems a little too obtuse and academic to be useful in my world.

The article can be found here:  http://www.elearningscotland.org/SnippetAccess.aspx?id=422

He talks about how open source plays a role too.  Even open source communities with prototypes are insufficient to get a perfect standard.  There is just too much specialty need by too many constituents.  That's why I am somewhat jaded by the SCORM spec.  Too many people to please; thus, a standard with too much flexibility.  It can't stand up in the real information technology world. 

He likes to use this phrase, "Assuming that the user interface is paramount...".  Well, I'm not sure that is valid.  I've used many systems that sacrificed true functionality for some designer's idea of attractiveness.  But assuming he is only consider the ease of use, then I might agree.  Not having a properly debugged database backend can render the best UI meaningless. Still, I'll grant that UI is very important.  What I'm wondering is how truly important is the whole idea of interoperability?  XML and web services have been evangelized for several years now as capabile of making all software interoperable.  All of those notions are in my humble opinion merely naive overstatements about a good concept.