Re: Versioning and the end user

On Apr 17, 2007, at 2:53 PM, Chris Wilson wrote:

>
> Boris Zbarsky wrote:
>> Preston L. Bannister wrote:
>>> Please keep in mind that what matters the most is the end user.
>>
>> In my mind, what matters the most is keeping the web usable and at  
>> the same time
>> preventing any one entity from having a chokehold on the way  
>> people access
>> information that has been placed on the web or the way they place  
>> information on
>> the web.
>
> Shouldn't you be going after Flash, then, rather than IE bugwards- 
> compatibility?

We'll do that by adding HTML features that cover some of the use  
cases people use Flash for.

> In all seriousness, "chokehold police" was not in the WG charter.   
> (Nor do I think it's appropriate here.)

The goal of any standard is interoperability. If a single entity has  
a chokehold that it uses in a way that harms interoperability, then  
it is a valid goal for the standard to discourage that, or at least  
not encourage it.

While I'm willing to believe you that Microsoft has the best of  
intentions about web standards today, in the past it has been willing  
and able to use its dominant market share to actively damage  
interoperability on the web.

Regards,
Maciej