DISCONTINUE 'nl': presentational or semantic?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Etan Wexler <ewexler@stickdog.com>
To: <www-html@w3.org>
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2002 12:00 AM
Subject: 'nl': presentational or semantic?



Gabriele Fava wrote:

> The "nl" element is to my mind just a presentational element, added just
> to contrast "evil" ECMAScript menus (css ones are not so spread) with
> some "good" equivalent W3C [reccomendation].

Regardless of whether the 'nl' element type is intended to obviate
scripted menus, the 'nl' element type is rightly structural and semantic. 
In fact, I do not find the 'nl' element type presentational at all.

Think of the helpful ways that a user and her/his user agent could handle
'nl' elements:
  setting the elements in a relatively small font size;
  setting the elements in a relatively small font size; rendering only 'nl'
    elements;
  ommitting 'nl' elements entirely (as for print or aural
    rendition);
  extracting a navigation list for use as a local resource; and
    on and on.

Is this variety of treatments consistent with a presentational element
type?  No.

-- 
Etan Wexler <mailto:ewexler@stickdog.com>
Millions now dying have never lived