[Bug 22034] New: Redefine the small element's semantics to better allow for use as a tag line / sub title

https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=22034

            Bug ID: 22034
           Summary: Redefine the small element's semantics to better allow
                    for use as a tag line / sub title
    Classification: Unclassified
           Product: HTML.next
           Version: unspecified
          Hardware: PC
                OS: Windows NT
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: default
          Assignee: dave.null@w3.org
          Reporter: nicholas.stimpson@ntlworld.com
        QA Contact: public-html-bugzilla@w3.org
                CC: mike@w3.org, robin@w3.org

This is a revision of a suggestion of a post made on the HTML5Doctor site.

The problem being addressed is the mark-up of subtitles and tag-lines, now that
the hgroup element has been deemed unsuitable. The use of such patterns is
widespread on the web, and there seems to be a demand among web authors for an
agreed way to mark up these patterns.

A number of different solutions have been proposed, and this suggestion
addresses just one of them, using the small element, inside the heading (h1-6)
element, to delimit the content which is the subtitle/tag-line.

This approach has the particular merit of an existing cow path in the popular
twitter bootstrap advice. However, it has been opposed on the grounds that it
is incompatible with the existing HTML5 semantics for the small element.

I wish to contend that the existing semantics of the small element (which is
essentially only for small print/legalese) are unusually and unhelpfully narrow
compared with similar elements like the strong or em elements, and so it seems
potentially useful  to investigate whether the semantics of the small element
can be adjusted in such a way to retain the essence of its existing definition,
but allowing it to encompass the use as a tagline, and potentially other
similar uses.


The semantic for the small element that I propose is that of "lowered
prominence". Specifically, I suggest that the first part of the small element's
definition be changed from 

    "The small element represents side comments such as small print."

to say

    "The small element represents lowered prominence, but equal importance, for
its contents.

    "It is suitable for content that is side comments such as small print, or
for parts of content that may be omitted from a précis of that content, such as
in the construction of an outline of a document or section of a document."



“Lowered prominence” is what one would naturally expect of small print, but
would also encompass other situations such as tag-lines and subtitles. It’s
also natural, I believe, for an author to think of a <small> tag lowering the
prominence of its contents.

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Received on Tuesday, 14 May 2013 21:09:30 UTC