Smylers wrote: > > As defined by HTML5, a user agent can treat the contents of a <cite> > element as being the title of a work; if <cite> is expanded to do two > distinct things (both titles of works and conversation speakers) then > <cite> effectively becomes a semantically empty element two: a user > agent can't know which of the two meanings is intended, so can't presume > either of them. See, I don't 100% buy that. My trusty Merriam-Webster tells me that cite can point to either a work or its author: 1: to call upon officially or authoritatively to appear (as before a court) 2: to quote by way of example, authority, or proof <cites several noteworthy authors> 3 a: to refer to; especially: to mention formally in commendation or praise b: to name in a citation 4: to bring forward or call to another's attention especially as an example, proof, or precedent <cited the weather as a reason for canceling the picnic> [source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cite ] Whilst 'citation' (same etymological root) defines itself as "an act of quoting" [ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/citation ] If we are to follow through on these historical English definitions, than <cite> *could* be referencing the authoritive source, be it a work or an author. There is nothing semantically empty in that value IMHO, and so I would suggest that <cite> should be able to reference an author - it is a mechanism that directly links a quote to its source - a perfect solution to dialog. JFReceived on Tuesday, 15 September 2009 23:24:04 GMT
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