Re: Erratum proposal (was: Re: Avoid deprecated features query)

Wendy A Chisholm writes:
 > 
 > 
 > I propose the following erratum to WCAG 1.0:
 > 10. Avoid deprecated features
 > Added: DD MM YYYY.
 > Type: Clarification
 > Refers to: Checkpoint 11.2 of 5 May 1999 version
 > Description (and correction). The checkpoint says, "Avoid deprecated 
 > features of W3C technologies" but it is not clear if "avoid" means "do not 
 > use at all" or "use only when absolutely necessary."  Since this is a 
 > Priority 2 checkpoint, the stricter interpretation applies and it should be 
 > read as, "Do not use deprecated features of W3C technologies."

My recallection from the WCAG 1.0 process is that "avoid" meant "do
not use", but that the working group preferred the word "avoid" as it
had more positive connotations, implying that there were ways of
designing content without using deprecated features. Thus the original
intent of the group, as I remember it, was for the strict
interpretation. Subsequently to the publication of the guidelines as a
Recommendation, there were arguments made to the effect that some
deprecated features of particular technologies (notably HTML) were not
detrimental to accessibility and that it would be better to apply the
checkpoint less strictly.

The simplest solution I think is as Wendy indicated; define the scope
of the conformance claim appropriately, with newer content being
double-a (with no use of deprecated features) and older content being a only.

Note that "deprecated features" refers only to those features
specifically marked as deprecated in the language specification.

Received on Wednesday, 4 June 2003 22:14:11 UTC