User notifications in the guidelines for Web Content Transformation Proxies

Hi again,

Looking at the spec with the same "we need a test suite" eyes, and in 
connection with LC-2317 [1] (member-only link, public comment at [2]), I 
think we need to define what we mean with expressions such as "notify 
the user", "inform the user", or "provide a means for users".

We might not want to go there, but if we don't provide a more precise 
definition, one could say that e.g. sending an SMS to the user with a 
"send YES to 99999 to view unaltered content" message is a valid 
implementation. In any case, I cannot think of any proper way to write 
test cases for these statements.

Please find below a list of normative statements extracted from the 
guidelines that contain such expressions. Please refer to the spec for 
more context.

A definition of the interaction means that we are thinking about and 
that we could refer to should solve the problem. I am not sure how this 
definition should be formulated, something like "an HTML fragment 
displayed in the page browsed by the user", or "an interstitial HTML Web 
page". I am not suggesting that we mandate the look and feel of these 
interaction messages, just the communication channel that they use.

4.1.4: In this case proxies may for the sake of consistency of 
representation serve stale data but when doing so should *notify the 
user* that this is the case
4.1.4: and must *provide a simple means*
4.1.5.3: must, [...], *inform the user* of that and *allow them* to select
4.2.2: Proxies must *provide a means for users* to express preferences
4.2.2: Proxies must *solicit re-expression of preferences*
4.2.3: proxies [...] must *provide the option for the user* to continue 
with unaltered content
4.2.9.1: It should *indicate to the user* that the content has been 
transformed
4.2.9.3: it must *advise the user* of the security implications of doing so
4.2.9.3: it must *provide the option* to bypass it
4.2.9.3: proxies must *notify the user* of invalid server certificates

Francois.

[1] 
http://www.w3.org/2006/02/lc-comments-tracker/37584/WD-ct-guidelines-20091006/2317
[2] 
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-bpwg-comments/2009OctDec/0068.html

Received on Tuesday, 8 December 2009 21:20:28 UTC