RE: definition of User Agent

I agree with Gregg that it is the second part of the user agent definition we mean most and would be comfortable going with that. We should add to it that a user agent is something to which the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines apply, and we might possibly also want to add that the WCAG are written with UAAG-conformant user agents in mind (even though WCAG techniques sometimes address cases of UAAG non-conformance). Since there is a reference to UAAG, our definition has to be compatible with the one used there, but doesn't have to be identical. Michael

-----Original Message-----
From: w3c-wai-gl-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-gl-request@w3.org]On Behalf Of Gregg Vanderheiden
Sent: October 30, 2005 1:01 AM
To: w3c-wai-gl@w3.org
Subject: definition of User Agent



I just noticed the definition of user agent in our guidelines

 

It is 

 

user agent

In this document, the term "user agent" is used in two ways:

1.      The software and documentation components that together, conform <http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-USERAGENT/conformance.html#Conformance>  to the requirements of the User Agent  <http://www.w3.org/TR/UAAG10/> Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (UAAG 1.0). This is the most common use of the term in this document and is the usage in the UAAG checkpoints.

2.      Any software that retrieves and renders Web content for users. This may include Web browsers, media players, plug-ins, and other programs - including assistive  <http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-USERAGENT/glossary.html#def-assistive-technology> technologies - that help in retrieving and rendering Web content.

Note:  This term was taken verbatim from User Agent  <http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-USERAGENT/glossary.html> Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (UAAG 1.0) Glossary 

 

 

The note states that this was taken verbatim from UAAG.   Actually this is an adaptation of the definition in UAAG because it would make no sense in our document as written. 

Here is the definition verbatim from UAAG.

 

User agent

In this document, the term "user agent" is used in two ways: 

1.      The software and documentation components that together, conform <http://www.w3.org/TR/UAAG10/conformance.html#Conformance>  to the requirements of this document. This is the most common use of the term in this document and is the usage in the checkpoints.

2.      Any software that retrieves and renders Web content for users. This may include Web browsers, media players, plug-ins <http://www.w3.org/TR/UAAG10/glossary.html#def-plug-in> , and other programs - including assistive  <http://www.w3.org/TR/UAAG10/glossary.html#def-assistive-technology> technologies - that help in retrieving and rendering Web content.

 

 

 

First we should change our note since it isn't accurate.

 

Second I wonder if our adaptation of UAAG definition is accurate for our guidelines.  Isn't the second definition the one we mean most?  Not the first?

In fact isn't the second definition the only thing we mean by the term user agent? 

 

 

 


Gregg

------------------------

Gregg C Vanderheiden Ph.D. 
Professor - Depts of Ind. Engr. & BioMed Engr.
Director - Trace R & D Center 
University of Wisconsin-Madison 
<  <http://trace.wisc.edu/> http://trace.wisc.edu/> FAX 608/262-8848  
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