Re: [Backplane XG] Updated final report draft, and Agenda for Sept 22 Telecon

in reference to the attachment to the post archived at:

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-xg-app-backplane/2009Sep/0009.html

and directly accessible via the following URI:

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-xg-app-backplane/2009Sep/att-0009/backplane-xg-report-v2.html

i have a few strictly editorial comments:

1. first instance of the acronym RIAs should be parenthetic after the full 
term, viz:

    Rich Internet Applications (RIAs)

2. misspellings: the document needs to be run through a spell-checker

PART 2: non-editorial issues

GJR QUESTION 1: Javascript or Javascript+ARIA?

extant wording - begin quote

During the period of its working the XG actually started implementing 
its ideas, and what evolved was a plan for an architecture of implementing 
XML-based architectures within current-day browsers, using Javascript as a 
definition language, the idea being if you could define a standard method of 
allowing the subparts to communicate, you could define both the syntax and the 
semantics of markup languages without those languages knowing about each 
other's existence, and they could be combined and work together without further 
intervention.

unquote

COMMENT: In order for any javascripted object or par of a page or 
interface if implemented using javascript, that Javascript MUST be 
ARIA-enabled.  That is to say, since  javascripted controls have no 
inherent user interface, one MUST be provided through the use of the 
W3C's Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) [ref]. ARIA-bindings 
enable multi-modal navigation and interaction with scripted objects 
through the use of explicit role and state properties which can be 
bound to the declarative framework upon which a javascripted object or 
element is presented to the user. In the absence of ARIA bindings, 
scripted objects constitute a perceptual and functional black holes

GJR SUGGESTION 2: change last sentence of first paragraph o under the 
heading "Rich user interaction platforms and patterns"

extant wording - begin quote

Web users today seek ever increasing interactivity and responsiveness in 
Web applications, particularly as those applications expand in scope and 
function to provide increasing levels of capability ("richness') in 
presentation, control, and data

unquote

begin proposed (less passive and added verbiage about accessibility):

Today's web users need ever increasing degrees of interactivity and 
responsiveness in Web applications, particularly as those applications 
expand in scope and function.  Presentation, user controls, and data 
management are areas where increased levels of usability, accessibility

and capability -- all aspects of the "richness" referred to in the term

"Rich Web Applications"  -- need to be provided.  The drive for richness

stems from a desire for 
authors to address greater functional goals in their applications -- 
moving from web content to commerce to collaborative services. The means 
for achieving richness stem largely from migrating function back to the 
client that historically has been resident on the server -- we do not seek 
to re-establish a world of client-server computing but rather to 
increasingly leverage client capabilities in an era of greatly expanded 
distributed computing and online services.  This is also a key aspect of 
ensuring the accessibility and interoperability of scripted functions and 
data management to persons with disabilities, such as low vision, 
blindness, the inability to use a pointing device, etc.)

end proposed

GJR COMMENT 3: the section entitled "Progressive enhancement and 
unobtrusive javascript, e.g. Dojo" should contain a paragraph on ARIA, as 
it is essential for communicating role, state and properties to a 
third-party assistive technology, such as a screen-reader or an on-screen 
keyboard.

i can draft something, but would rather ask the ARIA Caucus for suggested 
verbiage (which is why i have carbon-copied janina sajka, chair of the 
protocols & formats working group [http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF] on this post

i am preparing further comments on te draft, but this is what jumped 
out at me immediately -- what i am attempting to achieve is to include 
accessibility and usability in the description of the term "rich internet 
application", and i would be more than happy to work with charlie and 
steven and whomever else on anXHTML11+ARIA+Role version of the final 
report (actually, i would like to propose that the report's DOCTYPE be 
XHTML11+ARIA+Role)

i will attempt to be at the RWAB telecon tomorrow to discuss this further, 
so janina, i guess i will miss the open accessibility call scheduled for 
the same hour,

gregory. 
-------------------------------------------------------------- 
You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of 
focus.                                           -- Mark Twain 
-------------------------------------------------------------- 
Gregory J. Rosmaita: gregory@linux-foundation.org 
  Vice-Chair: Linux Foundation's Open Accessibility Workgroup 
http://a11y.org                          http://a11y.org/specs 
--------------------------------------------------------------

---------- Original Message ----------- 
From: Charles F Wiecha <wiecha@us.ibm.com> 
To: public-xg-app-backplane <public-xg-app-backplane@w3.org> 
Sent: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:35:33 -0400 
Subject: [Backplane XG] Updated final report draft, and Agenda for Sept 
22 Telecon

> All -- please find attached an updated draft of the XG final 
> report.  The organization has been revised, and content trimmed, 
> to reflect our recent discussions as to being shorter and 
> focused on extensibility issues.  Thus the patterns material has 
> been moved to follow the discussion on approaches to browser 
extensibility. 
> 
> Take a read through and we can discuss whether this approach is 
> likely to be more effective... 
> 
> (Steven, I've removed your table of contents markup...but only 
> for now, until the organization settles down!)...Thanks, Charlie 
> 
> (See attached file: backplane-xg-report-v2.html) 
> 
> Charles Wiecha 
> Multichannel Web Interaction 
> IBM T.J. Watson Research Center 
> P.O. Box 704 
> Yorktown Heights, N.Y.   10598 
> Phone: (914) 784-6180, T/L 863-6180, Cell: (914) 320-2614 
> wiecha@us.ibm.com 
------- End of Original Message -------