"Specification" versus "draft"

Jukka K. Korpela wrote to <mailto:www-style@w3.org> on 11 September 
2004 in 'Re: [css21] 5.12.2 The :first-letter pseudo-element (the Dutch 
"ij")' <mid:Pine.GSO.4.58.0409120100510.28965@korppi.cs.tut.fi>:

> Technically, CSS 2.1 is still a draft, not a specification.

No and no. CSS 2.1 had, at the time of Jukka's message, passed the 
stage labeled "Working Draft" and entered into the stage labeled 
"Candidate Recommendation". Aside from that, maturity level is 
orthogonal to being a specification. Messages distributed through this 
list can be specifications (and several such messages exist). Notes 
scrawled on a napkin can be specifications. The nature of being a 
specification is to specify something. Clarity, formality, acceptance, 
and implementation are all great, but none are necessary to make 
something a specification.

-- 
Etan Wexler.

Received on Wednesday, 27 October 2004 13:23:44 UTC