Re: ISSUE-106 (obsconf): Return the concept of Obsolete but conforming, back to using obsolete and deprecated [HTML 5 spec]

On 31/03/2010 23:42, HTML Weekly Issue Tracker wrote:
> The text of the current HTML 5 draft does not contain the sections in previous
> versions of HTML in regards to Deprecated and Obsolete HTML elements[1].
>
> Instead, the current document references terms such as "obsolete but
> conforming" [2], leaving a great deal of confusion about just what this means,
> and about the state of the elements so described. [3][4].
>
> In addition, several valid HTML 4 elements and attributes have been described
> as obsolete in HTML 5, not deprecated, which does not provide a graceful
> transition period for people to remove these elements/attributes from their web
> documents.
>
> Considering how widespread the support for deprecated is within the technology
> industry[5], the HTML 5 specification should return to the previously defined
> sections describing deprecated and obsolete as listed in the HTML 4 document.
> Doing so will ensure that older HTML elements aren't abruptly dropped, causing
> confusion. This move will also ensure that there is a procedure in place to
> ensure that when an element is dropped, it's dropped in favor of a replacement
> that provides the same, or enhanced functionality. It will also help clarify
> confusion caused by using terminology not used previously with any other known
> specification.

+1 to Shelly on this issue. It is confusing, deprecated also implies 
that an element is still useful even if it is to be replaced, or is in 
the process of being superseded. Obsolete implies that the 
element/attribute is useless.

Cheers

Josh

> [1] http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/conform.html#deprecated
> [2] http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/Overview.html#obsolete
> [3] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2009Aug/0121.html
> [4] http://realtech.burningbird.net/deprecated-is-now-obsolete
> [5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deprecation
>
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Received on Monday, 5 April 2010 11:11:30 UTC