[Bug 7670] Use of prefixes is too complicated for a Web technology

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=7670





--- Comment #35 from Maciej Stachowiak <mjs@apple.com>  2009-09-23 21:03:47 ---
(In reply to comment #34)
> (In reply to comment #32)
> > Here's a great example of rebindable prefixes being confusing:
> >    http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2009Sep/thread.html#msg745
> > 
> > It doesn't even matter who is right and who is wrong in that discussion — the
> > very fact that there can be such a long discussion between some of the most
> > expert people on the subject with such vehement back-and-forth with people
> > telling each other that they are wrong is a clear demonstration of my point.
> 
> No.
> 
> You're playing a big role in fomenting this debate, then claiming that the
> debate you've created justifies the point you're making. That's a little bit
> circular.

For the record, Ian did not participate in that thread or any related
discussion. As far as I know, he hasn't discussed it privately with any of the
thread participants either.

Regardless, I don't think that thread demonstrates author misunderstanding of
how prefixes work.

> Also, the debate is happening between language designers. It's not happening
> much between users. Users spend 60 seconds learning prefixes, and then they
> move on to the next thing. We're spending vastly more time debating this than
> users are learning it.

I do think prefix indirection is somewhat confusing. It seems to be a common
error for both producers and consumers of prefix-using data to make the mistake
that it's the prefix that is meaningful, rather than the URI it is bound to.
Maybe that is an acceptable cost to pay for some benefit. But being dismissive
about it does not help to create consensus on this issue.


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Received on Wednesday, 23 September 2009 21:03:56 UTC