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

> It is irresponsible of us to encourage the use of unreleased and
> unstable specifications. Even ones we like.
> 
> Shelley

That creates a "first mover" problem which will render HTML 5 forever stuck
in limbo. HTML 5 will not become a full "recommendation" without two full
and complete implementations. Therefore, HTML 5 will never because a 100%
"released" and stable specification without encouraging its use before it
has achieved that status.

In fact, I'd say that most specs written in the modern era are like this.
The days of having a spec develop in a bubble with everyone waiting on its
public, stable release are OVER. Draft-N wireless, anyone? In reality,
plenty specifications attempt to document the "baseline" where existing
implementations overlap to provide a common ground that new implementations
can start from.

J.Ja