Re: Response to your SMIL CR comment "backgroundColor + backgroundOpacity = backgroundColor (CSS3 Color)"

Hello Stefan,

Thanks for your speedy response.

The issue here is not that RealNetworks is cramming something down 
SMIL's throat -- which is my loose translation of your response.
The points blocking this change are:
  0. SMIL's proposed approach is consistent with CSS2, as is the
     rest of SMIL's use of CSS. Upgrading this attribute to CSS3
     would actually require us to upgrade everything else to CSS3
     as well, including conformance requirements for all protocols.
     Given the fact this part of CSS3 is still in WD status,
     there just isn't critical mass to undertake this as part
     of SMIL 3.0.
     Note: This isn't a religious issue, just a very practical one.
     Unless there is engineering support for these changes -- and
     until the compatibility issues for existing documents is better
     defined -- I just don't see how we can get this done in
     time for a SMIL 3.0 release.

  1. Every change in the SMIL specification requires at least 2
     implementations. Thus, unless two organizations agree to
     support the change, it doesn't go anywhere. At present,
     there are 0 organizations who are interesting in implementing
     the change to CSS3 color. There are lots of things that we
     could potentially do in SMIL 3.0, but only those that have
     some form of market acceptance get through.

  2. Implementing this is a future version of SMIL will not
     introduce a major burden. We are trading off compatibility
     with existing SMIL-2+rn uses with deprecating one attribute
     for future use.

Our take is that the current opacity solution in SMIL 3.0 provides a 
standardization of current practice (it integrates existing extensions), 
it is conformant with SMIL's existing use of CSS and it provides new 
facilities that do not preclude a change in the future, once CSS3 gets 
finished with its progression along the Rec track.

Not optimal, perhaps, but pragmatic.

I hope you can live with this trade-off (or provide us with 2 
implementors who think as you do!)

Best regards,

Dick Bulterman
Co-Chair W3C SYMM Working Group

Received on Tuesday, 26 August 2008 18:59:37 UTC