Re: HTML4.0 draft: comments re: inclusion of frames (fwd)

At 04:48 PM 9/9/97 -0500, Jordan Reiter wrote:
>At 12:37 PM -0500 1997-09-09, Arnoud "Galactus" Engelfriet wrote:
>>In article <3.0.3.32.19970909092716.0068cb50@smtp.idt.net>,
>>jptxs <jptxs@idt.net> wrote:
>>> not bowing to the reality of how this process is carried out is not
>>> productive.
>>
>>The problem here is that "reality" mostly means "Whatever Netscape
>>comes up with", as far as new HTML extensions are concerned. Given
>>their history of strange extensions, that's not really a good way
>>to work on a new standard.
>
>Oh, I don't know--I think Marc Andreessen and/or Netscape Inc. came up with
>some pretty clever HTML ideas.  You know, some obscure elements like:...
>All browser makers are guilty of creating elements in order to further the
>functionality or visuality of HTML.  Netscape just happened to come up with

I basically agree with the both of you in theory--extensions, at least
'clever', i.e. useful when/if implamented, has been Netscape's ball game.
my point is that  lamenting that here, in a discussion of standards, is
counterproductive.  no matter what the source of a proposed element or
extension is, it should simply be considered as either useful or not,
within the purposes of the language or not, and then either approved [by
W3C, not us, of course :)] or not.  

Jordan brought up the example of <MULTICOL>.  when this first came out, i
could've given a rat's ass who proposed it--i was excited.  alas it never
came to be, but not because it came from Netscape--because it was not in
the best interests of HTML to go down the layout path.

oh, and Jordan, every ounce of irony is intended :)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
JPTXS
mailto:jptxs@idt.net
home: http://idt.net/~jptxs
biz: http://www.middleroom.com
--------------------------------------------
"...man's greatest labor so far has been to
 reach agreement about very many things and
 to submit to a *law of agreement*--
	regardless of whether these things
                         are true or false."
		-Nietzsche
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Received on Wednesday, 10 September 1997 10:13:08 UTC