- From: Andrew W. Hagen <contact2009@awhlink.com>
- Date: Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:54:27 -0500
The cite element should be slightly changed. Under this proposal, the cite element should be used only for titles of works, but may be used for other things that web authors may wish to cite. This conforms with how the cite element is used in practice. In the current HTML 5 specification, the cite element can only represent a title of a work. This has several negative implications. First, it goes against what the word "cite" means. The common English usage of the word "cite" includes making reference to non-titular authorities. For example, a writer may cite Aristotle. See http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cite Furthermore, the current restriction makes the cite element useless for works which do not have a title. See a list of such works at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untitled Trying to enforce a "titles-only" rule for the cite element is impossible. The best that can be done is for small bands of advocates to ringingly criticize any web author who breaks the rule. That is herding cats. It is not as if browsers will refuse to render <cite style="font-style: normal">Lincoln</cite> or that validators can distinguish that from Gore Vidal's <cite>Lincoln</cite> (a historical novel). The restrictive rule cannot be enforced. Finally, HTML 5 has a broad definition for some elements, such as kbd. The kbd element can represent any form of user input, even if it is not made with a keyboard. In current-work, one example is given of <kbd><kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>F3</kbd></kbd> for Shift+F3, even though in that keyboard chord, the user would not actually input the "+" character on the keyboard. It is so broadly defined that <kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>F3</kbd> would also be valid. Some elements, like kbd, are very broad. Logical consistency cannot be perfectly maintained when specifying the next version of HTML, but it should be a goal, and we ought to regret a logical inconsistency between the cite element and elements like kbd. One is narrow. The other is broad. Broadening the definition of cite will not cause harm. It would only allow web authors to fully embrace the cite element. This solution is workable. The cite element's default style is italics in display mode, and this proposal would not change that. If a web author writes: <cite>Aristotle</cite>, the web author can live with it or re-style the cite element as desired. To conclude, slightly broadening the cite element would improve HTML. Andrew Hagen contact2009 at awhlink.com
Received on Wednesday, 3 June 2009 20:54:27 UTC