Proposed deletion of checkpoint on spawning windows

Hello,

In [1], checkpoint 5.11 reads:

    Allow the user to turn on and off support for spawned 
    windows. [Priority 1] 

In SYMM Working Group teleconference, we discussed
the meaning of this checkpoint. There are many instances
where opening a window is vital to the functioning of the
page (e.g., when, from a SMIL presentation, one opens
an HTML media object in a new window. Note that SMIL
players do not currently render HTML themselves.). 

I believe the intent of the checkpoint is to prevent
disorienting changes to view, selection, or focus,
a goal covered by checkpoint 10.1:

   Provide information about document and view changes 
   (to the user and through programming interfaces).

Note: I propose adding the words "focus" and "selection" 
explicitly to 10.1.

While turning off spawning of windows may be one solution
to avoiding disorienting changes in views, I don't think
it's an effective solution since so much functionality
may be lost. Instead, in the techniques, we should tell
user agents how to inform users of changes to the view.
For instance, by emitting an audio cue, by speaking
"title" text of the linked resource along with some
warning, etc. 

I propose deleting checkpoint 5.11 and ensuring that the
goal of not disorienting users is clearly stated in 10.1.

 - Ian

[1] http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/WAI-USERAGENT-19990809 
-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
Tel/Fax:                     +1 212 684-1814

Received on Wednesday, 25 August 1999 11:40:41 UTC