Re: w3process-ISSUE-124 (WHATWG-blacklist): Normative Reference policy should explicitly black list WHATWG specs [Normative Reference Policy]

On Oct 6, 2014, at 19:56 , Ian Hickson <ian@hixie.ch> wrote:

>> If you want the title changed to suit other people’s purposes, then they 
>> get to choose the title. One could hope that they do a better job than 
>> you, but why open that Pandora’s box? You have opened the door to 
>> editing, which I would have thought you don’t want.
> 
> I'm not sure what you're saying here.

I am saying that if you want a change of title, then the people who need the document get to change the title.

“Stable URL specification for those who do not wish to be at the mercy of arbitrary changes by unaccountable people.”

See, others can be puerile and play at making intentionally pejorative names, too. I think we can do better.

If you won’t leave the title alone, and insist that you pick it, then again you are forcing a fork on those who desire a non-pejorative title, because then they fork the document just to avoid the silliness.

Finally, any change of title is, in fact, a change to the document — a fork. Don’t do that unless it’s forced.

Look, the ideal way to reference a specific version of a document is to quote its revision in the repository. Under those circumstances the question of whether the content has changed because someone now references it becomes absurd.

>> You are *asking* for a fork, either by asking for change of title, or by 
>> inventing an unacceptable title that forces a document copy. Why?
> 
> I've no idea how you go from my saying "forking is one of the worst things 
> that could happen to a spec, publishing multiple versions of a spec is 
> literally the anthesis of the entire point of writing standards", to "you 
> are asking for a fork”.

explained above.


David Singer
Manager, Software Standards, Apple Inc.

Received on Tuesday, 7 October 2014 16:30:05 UTC