This post by Jon from Metadata Matters explains it all. Pretty well. You just need to read it. If you can’t read it all, at least read his last paragraph:

Let it go. Chaos is good. Keep your systems open and flexible. Watch. Listen. Integrate instead of compete with Google. Integrate data from the social networks. Share everything. Aggregate. Watch. Listen.

He is writing about the search for agreement on a few data standards or formats. It isn’t going to happen, so let’s give up and move on.