RE: Interpretation of "web page" in software context

The email list took its time putting my message out there and a lot of good conversation has transpired since.  Bruce even used the "analog" term.  What I mean by the term: provide examples and be clear that the examples are not a template but an analog (similar to how an X behaves in a Y).



For instance, for SW "web page" and "set of web pages" can be described as similar to a collection of SW interfaces intentionally grouped by a developer for a given "interactive context" (e.g. a rich text editor with tools and menus, a print dialog box, or a directory look up screen with search box, results pane, and selection buttons).



The relationship is similar to trying to describe the solidity of matter as compared to quantum mechanics.  Web is to the physical world, as SW is to the subatomic world...there are just too many probable outcomes in the SW world to make reliable and understandable connections.    In the example above "can" and "similar" let the reader know it is just an analog and that they need to map the analog to their instance.  In short, you trust them to make the connection for us because we cannot do it for them (we have no information about their instance and there are too many variables).



If you want to define it, we're sunk on consensus.  If you want something that is true all/most the time, we're sunk on correctness.  Use an analogy and you lose on correctness and specificity and you give the reader something digestible, and let them know they have to make the connection for themselves.



Pierce



From: Gregg Vanderheiden [mailto:gv@trace.wisc.edu]
Sent: Monday, June 18, 2012 3:52 PM
To: Crowell, Pierce
Cc: 'public-wcag2ict-tf@w3.org'
Subject: Re: Interpretation of "web page" in software context



Screens could be 15 different applications  -- and beyond the ability of any author to be responsible for.

Also we need to cover pure audio systems......



but keep tossing the terms over the wall.





What did you mean by

I suggest the approach be finding an analog instead of a single term.

??







Gregg

--------------------------------------------------------
Gregg Vanderheiden Ph.D.
Director Trace R&D Center
Professor Industrial & Systems Engineering
and Biomedical Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison


Co-Director, Raising the Floor - International
and the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure Project
http://Raisingthefloor.org   ---   http://GPII.net

















On Jun 18, 2012, at 4:56 PM, Crowell, Pierce wrote:





I was not present for some of these conversations, but we at SSA use the term "screens" to cover both SW and Web pages.  Like any other single term, for SW it falls short, so any term will need supplemental information and caveats.



I suggest the approach be finding an analog instead of a single term.



Pierce



From: Gregg Vanderheiden [mailto:gv@trace.wisc.edu]
Sent: Monday, June 18, 2012 10:48 AM
To: Andi Snow-Weaver
Cc: public-wcag2ict-tf@w3.org<mailto:public-wcag2ict-tf@w3.org>
Subject: Re: Interpretation of "web page" in software context



Hmmm

might the answer be found by exploring why 'interaction context' doesn't seem to work?



a good place to start might be in finding out what the problems we have are - and then finding a way to address them.



Can someone or someones summarize the problems with interaction context?



Gregg

--------------------------------------------------------
Gregg Vanderheiden Ph.D.
Director Trace R&D Center
Professor Industrial & Systems Engineering
and Biomedical Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison


Co-Director, Raising the Floor - International
and the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure Project
http://Raisingthefloor.org   ---   http://GPII.net


















On Jun 18, 2012, at 4:42 PM, Andi Snow-Weaver wrote:






We're quickly coming to the point in our work where we will not be able to reach consensus on the guidance for the success criteria until we come to consensus on interpretation of "web page" and "set of web pages" in the software context.

The proposal to use "interaction context" for "web page" has not yet been accepted.

We need another proposal. Ideas anyone?

Andi