I've used all kinds of formats and protocols in a long career as a software developer.
I also have created a few, and have had to fight to keep them independent and unowned, with varying degrees of success. This set of rules represents what I've learned.
If we work together on a project based on open tech, these are the principles I will try to stick to. I wanted to put all this in one place, so I can pass it along to future software developers.