Re: webwatch-l New Web Standards Advocacy Project

In article <199808100139.VAA18415@ruby.ora.com>, Chris Maden
<crism@oreilly.com> writes
>> 
>> > http://www.webstandards.org
>
>Both one of their founding members and one of their designers have
>said that it isn't possible to get good design in all browsers and
>still be standards-compliant.  The founding member in question also
>said that any assertions otherwise were "horseshit".

That's not quite the way I read it: in <URL:http://www.lists.ic.ac.uk/hy
permail/xml-dev/9808/0289.html> at least, the "horseshit" applies to the
assertion that "any org promoting standards compliance should stick to
the standards", and goes on to say "If the standards were implemented
correctly, you could" [stick to them].

Of course, the issue is clouded by legacy issues of backwards
compatibility; but nevertheless this seems, to me at least, be the crux
of the matter - as has been debated for literally *years* on newsgroups
like ciwah.

One of my biggest problems, as a web author, is that of attempting to
create a standards-based product in a field in which there *are* no
standards: and knowing that the body which is the closest there is to an
international standards authority (*without being one*) is tied so
closely with, if not outright controlled by, major organisations who
continually demonstrate their contempt for any formal standards process.

Thus although every page we author bears a link to what used to be the
"Kinder Gentler Validator" (and is now the W3C's own HTML validator), I
can sympathise entirely with the web author who defies validation in
pursuit of accessibility (I have no sympathy at all with those who would
use the accessibility issue an excuse for non-validation).

As far as I can see, the more voices we have raised in favour of
promoting standards, the better.

Best Wishes
-- 
Colin Reynolds, The Net Effect (World Wide) Ltd
http://www.the-net-effect.com/
Tel: +44 (0)1246 450 901
Fax: +44 (0)1246 450 902

Received on Thursday, 13 August 1998 08:47:07 UTC