Re: The harm that can come if the W3C supports publication of competing specs

On Jan 16, 2010, at 9:47 , Shelley Powers wrote:

> On Sat, Jan 16, 2010 at 11:08 AM, Philip Jägenstedt <philipj@opera.com> wrote:
>> On Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:06:18 +0100, Shelley Powers <shelley.just@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> I do not work for an implementor, which seems to imbue one with super
>>> human markup skills, so you'll have to excuse me if what I perceive
>>> support for competing standards by the same standards organization
>>> seems to me to be, well, forgive my frankness, the dumbest thing the
>>> W3C has done since blink.
>> 
>> The only reasonable alternative is to publish no standard at all.
> 
> No, the only reasonable alternative is for the W3C to continue the
> path it has begun many years ago.
> 



I have been with standards groups and trade associations (and indeed, companies) that have refused to do B because it would overlap with, or 'cannibalize' A, even when there was demand and support for B.  Refusing to do B has always been a mistake, I'm afraid, no matter how good A is.

I take no position on whether RDFa and Microdata are, in fact, in conflict, or overlap, or whether either or both are, in fact, good ideas or in demand.  I merely note that I doubt the basis of the argument.

David Singer
Multimedia and Software Standards, Apple Inc.

Received on Saturday, 16 January 2010 18:41:02 UTC