XHTML 2.0 Conformance Discussion and Meaning in specification

Hi QA WG,

*MEMBER ONLY Discussion*
Hi, I sent an initial message about Conformance and XHTML 2.0 on the  
HTML Member WG mailing-list. Be careful the discussion is member  
confidential.

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Member/w3c-html-wg/2004JulSep/0165
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Member/w3c-html-wg/2004OctDec/ 
thread.html#36

Basically to broaden my question is:
1) How do we prove semantics
2) How do we test meaning in Markup languages?
3) What does that mean to specify the meaning of an element if it's not  
enforced by the conformance section?

Example: If I create PoemML

An element "verse" is created and defined by

verse: A single metrical line of poetry, or poetry in general (as  
opposed to prose).

We may define an attribute poemtype for verse, with different values:
	alexandrine: A line of poetry that has 12 syllables.
	heptameter: A line of poetry that has seven metrical feet.

For example:
<verse poemtype="alexandrine">But satire needs not those, and wit will  
shine</verse>


How do we prove that this element has been implemented for the specific  
meaning it has been defined for? Not proving that the content has the  
right semantics, but that the element is useful and why it's useful has  
to be demonstrated somehow.

People will use an element because it's useful and it does something  
specific in an application (browser, authoring tool, search engine,  
annotation tools, etc...)

-- 
Karl Dubost - http://www.w3.org/People/karl/
W3C Conformance Manager
*** Be Strict To Be Cool ***