- From: Paul Prescod <papresco@technologist.com>
- Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997 09:40:21 -0400
- To: www-html@w3.org
Chapman, Hass wrote: > What is misuse? Using HTML in ways that were not the intention of those that > formulated the DTD can be very useful and productive e.g. use of TABLES > (again). Using HTML in ways that were not the intention of those that formualated the DTD can be *both* productive *and* misuse. An SGML application (like HTML) defines both syntax *and* semantics. Violating the former is a computer-reportable error. Violating the latter is merely misuse. Consider: a robber breaks in as you are reading this message. You pick up the monitor and throw it at him. knocking him to the ground. You grab the printer and hit him in the head, knocking him out. You call the police, they take him to jail, he reforms, becomes a community pillar, a doctor and saves hundreds of lives. Did you misuse the monitor and printer? Yes. Was it useful to do so? Yes. There is no dichtomy there. "Misuse" is not a moral statement. Paul Prescod
Received on Thursday, 10 July 1997 09:40:47 UTC