Re: OK to display W3C logo based on 3'rd party validator?

On 22.09.99 at 11:10, Ann Navarro <ann@webgeek.com> wrote:

>At 10:27 AM 9/22/99 -0400, Liam Quinn wrote:
>
>>Or it might be better than the W3C version. 
>
>As "owner" of that service you have a vested interest in promoting your
>service. No one is attempting to deny you that. 

Not really. Liam gets no benefit from people using the WDG Validator. It's
not a commercial service. There is no fee and there is no advertizing.


>However as a *consumer*, especially consumers who don't understand the
>techniques involved in running a validator, it's is a very reasonable
>question to pose: is this one as good as the "official" one, and if it
>tells me I've passed, can it tell me I've also passed according to the
>W3C? 

As a "*consumer*, especially consumers who don't understand the techniques
involved in running a validator", you should accept the opinion of the
experts. Liam is about as expert as they come!

Using an SGML parser to validate a document against a DTD ensures that the
document is valid and that all other validators will agree with you. Can
the WDG Validator tell you if you've passed the W3C Validator? Not really,
but it can guarantee that, barring bugs in one of the validators, it
*should* validate.

(in other words, a conditional yes to your question ;D)

It's a reasonable question to pose, but it's utterly meaningless.


>I'm not interested in debating whether your produce is "as good" or
>"better" -- that's not the issue. 

The issue is what the badge signifies. Compliance with a certain standard
or the use of a specific bit of software. The presense of the W3C logo on
the badge is incidental. The badges for HTML 2.0 and 3.0, HotJava and
Netscape, completely lack anything linking them to the W3C. The badge
signifies that the document in question is valid according to the indicated
standard. Mostly these will be W3C-made standards, but not necessarily.


Now, the W3C may well be of the opinion that "well, we made the badges, so
by golly we'll keep them to ourselves", but logic sez not and we won't know
otherwise until Gerald jumps in with the official position.

-- 
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                                             -link

Received on Wednesday, 22 September 1999 12:13:04 UTC