Re: Checkpoint 3.6: Big Hurdle for Double-AA/Triple-AAACompliance

Adam,

I've forwarded your follow-up comment to the WCAG editors.
(Taken off of w3c-wai-gl since you didn't copy them on your
follow-up).

ADAM GUASCH-MELENDEZ wrote:
> 
> >This was hotly debated in the HTML WG that
> >produced HTML 4.0. The wording we came up with was the following:
> >
> >  > Visual user agents must ensure that the content of the
> >  > Q element is rendered with delimiting quotation marks. Authors
> >  > should not put quotation marks at the beginning and end of
> >  > the content of a Q element.
> >
> >The idea was to be forward looking for this element.
> >So, until user agents support proper rendering of Q, you shouldn't use
> >it.
> 
> Sounds great. And in the context of HTML 4.0, it works. Unfortunately, that's not what it says in >the WAI checkpoint. Maybe the language should be revised to indicate that this is not applicable >until supported by user agents. 

Perhaps. Checkpoint 11.1 reads:

>11.1 Use W3C technologies when they are available and 
>     appropriate for a task and use the latest versions
>     when supported. [Priority 2]

Checkpoint 11.1 may address your concern, but perhaps we need some
clarification that forward-looking examples such as Q are covered by
11.1.

I don't think we need to publish a new version of the document. A
clarification
(on the errata sheet) should suffice.

>As written, the checkpoint says use it, and federal law will soon require compliance with that >checkpoint for all federal web sites.

We used the language "For example" intentionally so that people would
not be bound to a particular document language (such as HTML) and also
so that people could find other solutions. In section 3, these
notes are explained as follows:

  > Optional informative notes, clarifying examples,
  > and cross references to related guidelines or checkpoints. 

The goal of clarification has obviously not been met in this case (and
perhaps
others). 

Thanks again for your comments,

 - Ian

-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
Tel/Fax:                     +1 212 684-1814

Received on Tuesday, 6 July 1999 11:15:51 UTC