- From: Steven Faulkner <faulkner.steve@gmail.com>
- Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:51:11 +0100
- To: "James Graham" <jg307@cam.ac.uk>
- Cc: "HTML WG" <public-html@w3.org>, www-archive <www-archive@w3.org>
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 www.paciellogroup.com | www.wat-c.org Web Accessibility Toolbar - http://www.paciellogroup.com/resources/wat-ie-about.html
Received on Friday, 29 August 2008 11:51:52 UTC