Re: ATAG Conformance - my action item

Hi Tim,

I'm hoping to respond to some of your questions...

Tim Boland wrote:
> Per my action item from the 10 Nov 2008 AUWG teleconference, I
> investigated the definition of "authoring tool" and the "conformance 
> section", both from [1].
> As background and a reference point against which to evaluation the ATAG2.0
> specification, I used the material in the W3C Quality Assurance 
> Specification
> Guidelines "Specifying Conformance" section [2].
> 
> Comments/questions on Conformance section from [1]:
> 
> I think conformance section should make it clear that authoring tools 
> are the
> "class of products" that need to conform - authoring tools are what 
> needs to
> conform, not authors or other entities. Furthermore, the conformance 
> section
> should state how authoring tools need to conform (either included directly
> or by reference). Everything related to conformance - what is to conform 
> and
> how? - should be included in the conformance section. The conformance
> section should state how an authoring tool should satisfy the success
> criteria in the guidelines section (for example, which levels, how
> many at each level, etc.) and be very specific (maybe link to the
> "levels of conformance" and following "WCAG" sections presented
> earlier in the document from the conformance section?). Everything
> related to conformance
> should be in one place if possible..

I'm hoping my proposal 
(http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-au/2008OctDec/0067.html) 
makes these things more clear.

> Is our definition of "collection of software components" consistent
> with our definition of authoring tool (multiple applications??
> distinguish between application and component?)?

That should be changed to "collection of software applications"

> Does a claim allow for satisfaction of some (but not all) level As,
> some (but not all) level AAs, and/or some (but not all) level AAAs?
> Is this a realistic scenario?

Discussed on call.

> For platforms, we're not testing the platforms, right? Just the
> authoring tools? 

Right.

> Also, do we have a definition for Web-based user
> interface functionality?

Yes. http://www.w3.org/WAI/AU/2008/WD-ATAG20-20081202/#def-Web-Based-UI

> Comments/questions on definition of authoring tool from [1]:
> 
> For definition of authoring tool, "why do we have "used by other
> people" at end?

To differentiate the authoring tools from other software that let me 
change my own experience. ex. When I set my magnification in IE I'm not 
authoring (even if the mechanism for doing it is to apply a 
stylesheet)...but if iI change the stylesheet of someone else I'm using 
an authoring tool.


> Is this necessary, or even testable (testing intent?), since I assume
> that this definition is normative.

I think so...it's not testing intent, it's testing potential use.


> In the definition of authoring tools, "web content" should be linked to the
> definition.. 

Agreed


>Do we need a definition of "application", or is it obvious?

I think it's fairly obvious.


> For note 1, guidelines should not place any requirements on the
> ability of authors? - authoring tools are what's being tested, not
> authors?

It means ATAG 2.0 isn't going to fail a tool for now allowing an author 
to correct content they aren't allowed to change.


> For note 2, do we have a definition of "live content authoring tool"?
> If so, should we link to it? If not, should we create one? Is a live
> content authoring tool a corrent subcategory of our authoring tool
> definition?

I'd be OK with that.

Cheers,
Jan




> 
> Thanks and best wishes
> Tim Boland NIST
> 
> [1]: _http://www.w3.org/WAI/AU/2008/WD-ATAG20-20081028/_
> [2]: _http://www.w3.org/TR/qaframe-spec/#specifying-conformance
> 
> _

-- 
Jan Richards, M.Sc.
User Interface Design Lead
Adaptive Technology Resource Centre (ATRC)
Faculty of Information (i-school)
University of Toronto

   Email: jan.richards@utoronto.ca
   Web:   http://jan.atrc.utoronto.ca
   Phone: 416-946-7060
   Fax:   416-971-2896

Received on Thursday, 4 December 2008 22:10:55 UTC