In the classroom I've been told that Web Services was going to change
the computing world.  It was the next step up from the formation of
the web itself.  But I'm having trouble seeing this.  I've been
reading your articles posted on this Newsgroup and, although I'm new
to this, no one is talking about linking their system to third party
sites.  Everyone writes their own service for themselves.
When I go to the UDDI.org or Microsoft.com to find services they come
up a wash.  By now I thought I would have to swim through thousands of
published sites but I'm lucky to find any.  Or maybe it has all gone
the way of commercialism.  Have pay sites obsorbed all the useful
services?  And if they have, why don't they come up on google?

I was told that I would be able to link my application to several
other third party sites and use them as I would a function.  For
example: the weather site.  I would be able to link to their site and
download information onto my page as easily as calling a function.
I don't see this.  All the Web Services discussed in these letters are
internal.  No one is using other peoples services.  
Where is the ease of searching a dozen local Web Services of, lets say
"tile companies", and listing their prices for the same tile on my
site.  And having it updated automatically.  Or, for this, I should be
using XML?
Was this all a pipe dream and we are waiting for a regulation from the
govt' forcing manufactures to post their information?  Just like they
did when they started the web.  I understand there may be a security
issue, but isn't that why Microsoft come up with all those security
classes?

Sorry for the rant,
Please set me straight.
Thank you