Re: Proposal to expand definition of User Agents

Dick Brown wrote:
> 
> The User Agent guidelines currently define user agent in this way:
> 
> "A user agent is an application that retrieves and renders Web content,
> including text, graphics, sounds, video, images, and other content types."
> 
> I propose we expand that definition to say (new text between asterisks):
> 
> "A user agent is an application *or operating system component* that
> retrieves and renders Web content, including text, graphics, sounds, video,
> images, and other content types."
> 
> Why the change? There are technologies that Microsoft does not consider
> applications, but rather part of the operating system, that wouldn't be
> covered by the User Agent guidelines under the current definition.
> 
> Obviously, the OS vs. application issue has received some attention outside
> the scope of the WAI, and while I am not prepared to discuss that issue in
> detail, I hope we can agree on the broader definition.

What if we change "application or operating system component" to
"software"?

 - Ian

-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
Tel:                         +1 831 457-2842
Cell:                        +1 917 450-8783

Received on Wednesday, 7 June 2000 19:18:13 UTC