Re: @headers issue resolved - allowing a td to be referenced by a header to be in the HTMl5 spec.

I await the chairs decision.

2008/8/29 James Graham <jg307@cam.ac.uk>:
> Steven Faulkner wrote:
>>
>> At yesterdays HTML WG issue tracking telecon [1], the issue of headers
>> not being allowed to reference a td (in the current version of spec)
>> was discussed.
>>
>> It was decided by the Chair (Chris Wilson) after discussion and
>> consideration of the pros and cons that the current spec should be
>> changed to allow headers to reference a td element.
>>
>>  Chris "took action item assigned to josh and will figure out how to
>> ensure edit gets made in timely fashion" [1]
>
> "As explained in the Process Document (section 3.3), this group will seek to
> make decisions when there is consensus. We expect that typically, an editor
> makes an initial proposal, which is refined in discussion with Working Group
> members and other reviewers, and consensus emerges with little formal
> decision-making. However, if a decision is necessary for timely progress,
> but after due consideration of different opinions, consensus is not
> achieved, the Chair should put a question (allowing for remote, asynchronous
> participation using, for example, email and/or web-based survey techniques)
> and record a decision and any objections, and consider the matter resolved,
> at least until new information becomes available." [1]
>
> It seems to me that several aspects of this procedure have not been
> followed:
>
> * There is no need for a decision to be made for timely progress. As far as
> I can tell not resolving this issue is not blocking other parts of the spec
> nor is it blocking implementors.
>
> * It is not clear that all the different opinions were adequately
> considered. For example, I can see no evidence to suggest consideration of
> my point that marking up the example table with <th> for all the cells which
> the UA should treat as headers, and modifying the automatic association
> algorithm to cope, is easier for authors to understand and more likely to be
> done by authors not specifically interested in accessibility [2]. Therefore,
> taking this alternative approach will do more to improve overall
> accessibility of the web than simple to spec, hard to author, solutions like
> @headers pointing to <td> (this is related to our "Priority of
> Constituencies" design principle [3]).
>
> * A telecon does not allow for asynchronous participation.
>
> [1] http://www.w3.org/2007/03/HTML-WG-charter.html
> [2] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2008Aug/0632.html
> [3] http://www.w3.org/TR/html-design-principles/#priority-of-constituencies
>
> --
> "Eternity's a terrible thought. I mean, where's it all going to end?"
>  -- Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
>



-- 
with regards

Steve Faulkner
Technical Director - TPG Europe
Director - Web Accessibility Tools Consortium

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Received on Friday, 29 August 2008 11:51:52 UTC