Issue 429: Please reconsider resolution to add techniques about sharing user preferences

Hello,

The minutes (by me) of the 4 Jan 2001 teleconf [1] indicate that
for issue 429 [2] we resolved to add techniques to Guideline 5
about communicating user preferences/settings to plug-ins.
This may be a useful thing to do. But:

1) I'm not sure that it's a high-priority accessibility requirement.
   It may be convenient to inherit settings, but if the plug-in
   is accessible and configurable, then the user should be able to
   use it anyway.

2) I'm not sure what real-world scenarios are addressed by this
   requirement.

3) I don't know what standard APIs or protocols exist for 
   communicating user agent settings. I don't know to what extent
   P3P (for privacy preferences) or CC/PP are useful here. In any
   case, I would not want to include a requirement to implement
   either of these. If they are implemented, then checkpoint 6.2
   requires conformance to them at a P2 level.

4) We haven't discussed the privacy or security issues implied
   by the communication of user preferences.

Thus, it is my opinion that, before we have more information or
spend more time studying this new requirement, we should
not include advice or vague techniques about communication of
user preferences.

 _ Ian

[1] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/2001JanMar/0011.html
[2] http://server.rehab.uiuc.edu/ua-issues/issues-linear-lc2.html#429
-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
Tel:                         +1 831 457-2842
Cell:                        +1 917 450-8783

Received on Wednesday, 10 January 2001 18:20:46 UTC