While Manes acknowledges that with 60+ specs out there, WS-* can be complex to fathom, but toolkits should eventually handle most of that complexity. (Microsoft Indigo/WCF is one.) "Developers should really only need to be concerned with a handful of the specs: SOAP, WSDL, and XML Schema--maybe WS-MetadataExchange. Everything else should be handled transparently by the toolkits," she said.
Manes says WS-* is the best approach where robust middleware is required, but also adds that she doesn't recommend using WS-* for all service interactions, especially mass consumer-oriented services. "If an application doesn't require enterprisey infrastructure semantics, then it's much more appropriate to use a simpler middleware system, such as plain old XML (POX) over HTTP."
I concur that 'enterprisey' should not be a "derogatory" word. The very term 'enterprise' suggests a talent for marshalling people, resources and systems to provide products and services that the market demands. SOA promises to greatly streamline that capability.