RE: 48-Hour Consensus Call: InstateLongdesc CP Update

Maciej Stachowiak wrote:
> 
> But I do note that it seems to be back in the mode of
> "mandate something that browsers won't implement".


I will note that currently, we have at least 3 instances of native
implementation by browsers (Opera, iCab, IBM HomePageReader [no longer
produced or maintained by IBM]), that Firefox *does* expose @longdesc to the
Accessibility API, and that at least 3 market-significant screen reading
technologies (JAWs, WindowEyes and SuperNova/Hal) also provide support
*across* different browser offerings.
-
http://www.w3.org/html/wg/wiki/ChangeProposals/InstateLongdesc/Implementatio
n 


I will also note that according to the emergent HTML5 CR Exit Criteria
(http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2012Aug/0294.html), the
litmus test for this 'feature' is already met:

	"For this specification to be advanced to Proposed Recommendation,
there must be at least two independent, interoperable implementations of
each feature. Each feature may be implemented by a different set of
products, there is no requirement that all features be implemented by a
single product."

We have independent implementations, we have interoperable implementations,
and they are achieved using different sets of "products", (defined as "Web
browsers and other interactive user agents").

It is beyond the W3C to force any commercial company to do something that
they are philosophically opposed to doing, but I posit that using that
philosophical stance to frustrate progress by other vendors is antithesis to
how the W3C operates.

This is not mandating any one browser to do anything, it is simply
recognizing facts in evidence.

JF

Received on Tuesday, 18 September 2012 22:19:39 UTC