[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] RE: Realistic proposals to the W3C?
Hi Cavre, Thread 1: (3) Didier said: You probably mean here conformance test suites. To obtain the stamp of approval the W3C members would have to run the test suite in order to check their implementation conformance to the recommendation. If successful, the vendor may keep its W3C membership and put the W3C logo on their product. Did I got you right? If yes, this is an other mechanism that could help re-enforce conformance and provide a help protect the users. Cavre replied: Yes indeed but why limit it to just W3C Members. In truth any developer ought to have the right to submit any application for review and maybe earn the W3C logo. Not just members alone. However maybe members could get a free review, where as non-members would have to pay a evaluation fee of some sort. Didier replies: So, in that case, W3C has to provide a low fee access to the consortium to open the doors. I personally think that the probability that this will happen is very low since the requirement to reduce the fees to open up the consortium occurred several times in the past and from this community... nothing changed. Maybe we should conclude that it is not in the W3C intents to democratize further the membership by reducing the fees (like OASIS did). Thread 2: Didier said: I guess this is already the case but it does not re-enforce any good behavior form the W3C members. (2) and (3) does. Cavre replied: I agree but if you read through number 4 of my suggestions I think you will find I am only refering to "REC"'s. Developers are humans and as such each developer will have his's or her's own ideas and views about any particular "REC" or "standard". Their application may not need all the bulk a standard may require to be included just to meet "standards" Didier replies: But this is precisely what some vendors are doing and then, by doing so, jeopardize inter-operability by supporting a subset. Just remember the browser's case with <div> and <layer> both bowsers where (and are) supporting subset of the recommendation but a document may work on one but not on the other. So, my take is that we should ask for full support of a recommendation (or modules as it is the case for XHTML). This way, we have some assurance that a document will be properly interpreted on the "compliant browsers". However, the vendor may add some extras, but the users is fully aware of that the document will be dependent on this vendor. This may be useful, the importnat point to underline here is that at least the user has the choice. Just consider the <div> and <layer> case, to keep some inter-operability the Microsoft's browser had to include the <layer> element. Thus, the only inter-operable element is the proprietary one :-)). Conclusion: we have to be careful no to be contented only by "partial conformance". So I fully agree with your last statement: "I still believe that if your going to support a "standard" you support this "standard" in full. No exceptions allowed. Any developer has freedom of expression by supporting the "REC". It's that freedom of expression that I wish to keep as open as possible as much as possible. But a "standard" is a "standard" and we all need to follow it. Please consider HTML Strict for a good example." Cheers Didier PH Martin ---------------------------------------------- Email: martind@n... Conferences: xml devcon 2000 (http://www.xmldevcon2000.com) Wireless Summit NY (http:www.pulver.com) XML 2000 DC (http://www.gca.org) xml devcon 2001 London (http://www.xmldevcon2000.com) Book: XML Professional (http://www.wrox.com) column: Style Matters (http://www.xml.com) Products: http://www.netfolder.comProducts: http://www.netfolder.com
|
PURCHASE STYLUS STUDIO ONLINE TODAY!Purchasing Stylus Studio from our online shop is Easy, Secure and Value Priced! Download The World's Best XML IDE!Accelerate XML development with our award-winning XML IDE - Download a free trial today! Subscribe in XML format
|