Should accesskey focus or activate?

Hello all, a Netscape developer wanted to know whether accesskey should 
focus or activate controls, or whether it depends on the type of control.
Here's his question in detail:

> Hey Aaron,
> 
> I wanted to get your opinion as accessibility guy on bug 55020, it's a
> question of whether or not access keys should just focus the element in
> question or focus and activate it.  You're cc'd on the bug, I'm not sure
> if you've read it.  The bug has some valid points about accidental
> activation of access key based items, especially since we allow the
> accesskeys to beat out things like alt-F for menu opening.
> 
> So currently we focus and activate everything.  I tend to agree with the
> bug writer that we should move to only focusing things.  All of the
> items can be keyboard triggered from there so a full keyboard solution
> still works.
> 
> And just for extra info's sake, IE's solution is, I think, a bit unusual. 
> They use a mix of focus and activation.  Buttons, for example, are
> activated.  Links, however, are not.  Text fields just get focus but
> what does activation of a text field mean anyway.  IE also overrides
> stuff like alt-F when an accesskey of that letter is in use.
> 
> So anyway, I'm just curious if you have an opinion from an accessibility
> point of view.  My current stance is to go with the bug's solution and
> start doing focus only unless more arguments arise in favor of
> activation.
> 
> 	-tom


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