RE: Browser guidelines in authoring guidelines

JOSH Wrote:
We seem to have mixed browser/AT issues with authoring issues in the
current guidelines (I haven't looked at the most recent draft just
posted). While the browser/AT issues should be mentioned, I might
suggest placing them in a separate section that is maybe somehow
different from REQUIRED and RECOMMENDED and expresses the overlap of
HTML authoring/browser/AT. Just looking over the guidelines, I find:

GV:

Hi Josh

The items below look like browser/AT issues at first blush but I don't
think they are.  Unless I'm missing something.


3.2. The user can freeze moving or blinking text

If this were referring to Marque or Blink that would be true.  But
this guideline is in the Applets and Scripts section.  If an applet is
blinking or scrolling text, the mechanism to freeze it must be in the
applet.  The browser doesn't have this type of control usually.
(freeze an applet maybe?)


4.4. Transcriptions and audio descriptions are synchronized

This one refers to using Quicktime or providing a time synch file.
These are not browser issues.  These are things that the author must
do.


7.2. Tables are not used to arrange text documents in columns

This is an author strategy.    Did you mean that things authors should
do as a result of browser / AT issues should not be required or
recommended?   But put in a different list?  If so, that is what we
tried to do with the "interim" tag.

7.8. Alt-text doesn't wrap in tables used to position graphics

Hmmmm.  This is an interesting one.   It is like 7.2 in that it is
something an author has to look out for to accommodate brower and
screen reader limitations.

8.2. Lists of links have non-link printable chars between them

Again, this is something authors must do  to work with current browser
and AT tech.

So the last three fall into the category of things an author must do
for now.   The top two do not I don't think.

Are you saying we should pull the interim items out from the sections
and make them something other than guideline items?  Or saying
something else.

(also pls check the latest version to see if it is better for any of
your concerns.
http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WD-WAI-PAGEAUTH.html
it is better in a bunch of ways from the version you were looking at.

Anyone else's thoughts on this?

Gregg

Received on Thursday, 16 April 1998 00:27:06 UTC