Note in HTML4 spec about html5?

W3C’s Recommendation for HTML is HTML 4.01 from December 1999 [1].  The reality is the html5 is really the current html spec and it is widely implemented across a wide range of devices.  But, officially it won’t be a REC for a long, long time.  I think this causes confusion.

Could we had a note at the top of the HTML 4.01 spec that said something like: “Note: The HTML WG is developing HTML5 to replace HTML 4.   HTML5 is very widely implemented across the newest versions of the most popular Web Browsers and across multiple devices.  The HTML WG encourages content creator’s to consider using the new features of HTML5.”  With “HTML5 “linking to the latest TR Working Draft.

Also, we shouldn’t have such a long time between WG Drafts.  It makes little sense now to look at the TR draft.  It would be much better if it more closely tracked the editor’s draft.   Like every 6 weeks, with any controversial new content flagged as under discussion.

It seems something like this would decrease the confusion about what the HTML WG thinks content developers should be looking at.

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/