Re: CSS2 Progress

On Nov 24, 10:40am, Eric A. Meyer wrote:

>    As you pointed out in your message, Navigator already supports
> multicolumn text, using the little-known MULTICOL tag.  When I saw that
> CSS2 has a multi-column property, I wondered if this was another example of
> the W3C style group implementing proprietary features as part of the
> standard, due to vendor pressure.

Nope, actually, it was because we put out a NOTE [1] asking for public
feedback on some areas we were thinking of extending in CSS, and the
multiple column stuff was liked by some people, so we added it in from
the NOTE with a few changes to address feedback and clear up some loose
areas in the NOTE.

As to whether that particular feature makes it into a CSS2 Recommendation,
well, that depends on consensus in the working group - and yes, that does
include vendors. Because anyone can write a spec - the trick is to write
a spec that that both meets user needs and that vendors can agree to
implement. This is not trivial.

> Speaking personally, I have little use
> for multi-column text in a monitor-based environment.  So cut it out, what
> the heck do I care?

You never run your browser window in landscape mode on a big monitor?

>    Headers and footers are not supported by anyone, so far as I know.
> Their usefulness is such that they'll make it into the standard eventually.
> But is it really so crucial that they be part of CSS2?

There are currently three implementations of headers and footers as CSS
extensions. They are all incompatible. This strikes me as a problem.
Having a spec on how to do headers and footers in CSS is therefore a
win for interoperability.


>    I would argue that it isn't.  The W3C should be seen as a leader, yes.
> If this were a race, that would mean that the W3C should dart out in front
> of the browser feature-lists...

No, it would mean that W3C painted some white lines on the track so that
the runners at least went in similar directions.


>    The W3C should instead be seen as the sort of leader which leads an
> army-- determining strategy and letting the different divisions strain to
> win the most medals.  No matter which division gets more glory at any given
> point-- Marc's Maulers or Bill's Badasses-- the overall goal of the
> campaign is achieved so long as they are both headed in the same direction.

OK, agreement there.

> And while it's true that a leader who hesitates is lost, it is a reckless,
> thoughtless commander who risks utter defeat, both without and within.  No
> leader can win who does not control his own troops, or have their respect.

Erm, pardon? The purple prose getting the better of you, or an analogy
pushed too far?

-- 
Chris Lilley, W3C                          [ http://www.w3.org/ ]
Graphics and Fonts Guy            The World Wide Web Consortium
http://www.w3.org/people/chris/              INRIA,  Projet W3C
chris@w3.org                       2004 Rt des Lucioles / BP 93
+33 (0)4 93 65 79 87       06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France

Received on Tuesday, 25 November 1997 20:05:44 UTC