Re: Fwd: error in section 2.1 'Basic Concepts' of Namespaces in XML 1.0

Paul Grosso <paul@paulgrosso.name> writes:
> -------- Original Message --------
>     Subject: error in section 2.1 'Basic Concepts' of Namespaces in XML 1.0
>        Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 18:50:01 -0600                               
>        From: C. M. Sperberg-McQueen <cmsmcq@blackmesatech.com>             
>          To: xml-names-editor@w3.org                                       
>          CC: C. M. Sperberg-McQueen <cmsmcq@blackmesatech.com>             
>
> In section 2.1 of the 'Namespaces in XML' specification, I see that
> the term 'namespace name' is defined thus:
>
>     [Definition: For a name N in a namespace identified by a URI I, the 
>     namespace name is I. For a nameN that is not in a namespace, the 
>     namespace name has no value. ]
>
> These two sentences between them seem to specify that in the
> XML document <e/>, the root element is not in any namespace.
[...]
> If it was not an intentional design change, I request that the XML
> Core WG issue a correction, defining the term 'namespace name'
> in a way that restores the original design.

FWIW, I never understood the design as Micheal outlines it. If that
was the intent, it was not clearly expressed in the original spec.
I've never encountered anyone who understood it that way. In no
discussion of various out-of-band namespace proposals that floated
about when we still thought the HTML WG might be persuaded to have
namespaces under the right circumstances was this ever mentioned. No
implementation works this way. No test relies on this behavior.

I don't know how to address the process issues raised, but in my
opinion the technical issue has long since been closed. Nothing could
persuade me to reopen it along the lines Micheal suggests.

                                        Be seeing you,
                                          norm

-- 
Norman Walsh
Lead Engineer
MarkLogic Corporation
Phone: +1 512 761 6676
www.marklogic.com