Re: tricky XHTML 1.0 namespace question

"Henry S. Thompson" wrote:

> I guess my problem here is that asking XHTML to say they _don't_ do
> this falls into the category of what the technical writer who taught
> me technical writing called the Spurious Negative.  In general, he
> said, avoid statements like "Relay 12 does not energise at this point."

I take your point, but not all negatives are spurious.  A statement
like "At this point, the user MUST NOT stick his finger in Socket 22"
is not a spurious negative, but a useful warning.  Similarly, a
warning like "In XHTML elements, attributes MUST NOT be given a
namespace prefix" is extremely useful, since experience shows it is
the kind of mistake that will otherwise be made.

-- 

Schlingt dreifach einen Kreis vom dies! || John Cowan <jcowan@reutershealth.com>
Schliesst euer Aug vor heiliger Schau,  || http://www.reutershealth.com
Denn er genoss vom Honig-Tau,           || http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
Und trank die Milch vom Paradies.            -- Coleridge (tr. Politzer)

Received on Tuesday, 18 January 2000 11:20:20 UTC