Re: Notice of impending Formal Objection to Issue 30 Decision (@longdesc)

Sam Ruby, Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:17:08 -0400:
> Put in simpler terms, the chairs read of the sentiment of the working 
> group is that "It don't work" is the basis for a stronger objection 
> than "It says so right here".  That's true whether the original 
> statement came from ECMA, the IETF, or even here in the W3C.

What didn't work was that HTML4 validators did not perform any URI 
conformance checking - and very little attribute value checking at all.
 
>  - - -
> 
> Again, just so it isn't crystal clear: I am not saying that longdesc 
> doesn't work or that WCAG doesn't matter.  I am saying that we asked 
> for arguments and counter arguments, and evaluated the input that we 
> were provided.

I must agree that several supporters of longdesc should consider 
whether they have are pursuing the right strategy. To argue for 
longdesc on a temporary basis is not convincing strategy.
 
> Paths forward from this point (as listed in the decision itself):
> 
>     * use cases that specifically require longdesc,

What is wrong with "semantic link to a supplementary description"? Or 
as HTML4 puts it: "link to long description (complements alt)" What 
more is needed? I am sorry to have to repeat, but none of the 
"alternatives" (except <a rel="longdesc" href=* >) provides this.

>     * evidence that correct usage is growing rapidly and that that
>       growth is expected to continue, or

Turn on URI conformance checking - and we will se the correct use 
increase. This a chicken and egg argument.

>     * widespread interoperable implementation.

The decision document did not document lack of interoperable 
implementations.

> Additionally, there is the path forward of a Formal Objection.

I am sorry to say it, but given the quality of the decision document, I 
hope that we do not need to use such big canons.
-- 
leif halvard silli

Received on Friday, 13 August 2010 00:53:59 UTC