[B259] Proposal: remove default form text requirements

Following Roberto's subject line formatting suggestion for now...

The Techniques subgroup reviewed the requirement under WCAG 1.0 Checkpoint
10.4 [1] to provide default placeholder text for form controls. This is an
"until user agents" one and the belief of the group is that it has expired -
user agents for which this guideline was developed are no longer in common
use. Conformance to this guideline also introduces design and technical
problems. Therefore we propose that there be no technique (and therefore no
Guideline) under WCAG 2.0 that requires default form text. This issue is
sufficiently problematic for Web sites seeking WCAG 1.0 conformance that we
also suggest that the group add an entry to the Errata for WCAG 1.0 [2]
indicating that Checkpoint 10.4 is no longer relevant.

Please indicate your vote on this.

Michael

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/#tech-place-holders
[2] http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WAI-WEBCONTENT-ERRATA

Michael Cooper
Accessibility Project Manager
Watchfire
1 Hines Rd
Kanata, ON  K2K 3C7
Canada
+1 613 599 3888 x4019
http://bobby.watchfire.com/

Received on Tuesday, 27 May 2003 16:02:29 UTC