'content' and ::before/after

http://www.w3.org/TR/2001/WD-css3-box-20010726/
  |
  |  normal
  |       The normal case: the element's contents are the contents
  |       of the element in the source document.


I suggest changing this to 'auto', as it means "self". This
alludes to the element displaying its own content. 'Normal'
here means little more than 'default'.

That aside, there remains this problem with the :before and
:after pseudo-elements choosing to exist and not exist in
mystifying ways.[1] Rather than creating a separate nothing
value[2], I suggest overloading 'auto' to mean "display: none"
for :before and :after. I see no way of resolving the problem
except to special-case these pseudo-elements like this.



[1] fantasai. "Re: replaced inlines [was: vertical-align
        content-generated image?]", www-style@w3.org (2001-06-02).
        message-id: <3B1970A7.6F3A4089@escape.com>
        http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-style/2001Jun/0006.html

[2] Hickson, Ian. "Re: replaced inlines [was: vertical-align
        content-generated image?]", www-style@w3.org (2001-06-19).
        message-id:
            <Pine.WNT.4.31.0106190156020.1068-100000@HIXIE.netscape.com>
        http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-style/2001Jun/0049.html