Re: Applying SVG properties to non-SVG content

Jonathan Chetwynd wrote:
> James, Bert and Doug,
> 
> my take is a fourth way, one not as yet subscribed to by any W3WG
> 
> creating at least one version of each spec that provides for an 
> easy-to-use AT for the average joe.
> no not one mediated by a gynormous hyped corporation, just an average joe.
> 
> rather than a catchall for any developers' fantasy.
> iirc html as originally developed was reasonably successful in this 
> respect, even though the tool aspect is outstanding a decade later....

Absolutely. Both HTML and CSS were designed to be simple and useful, to 
make a lot of information a lot more accessible, but *not* to be the 
single solution for all kinds of information that people might want to 
communicate.

They are in a way a victim of their own success. So many people know and 
like them, that they want to extend them just a little to include their 
favorite applications. If everybody gets their extensions, we'll end up 
with a system that is far from simple and that could be useful, but 
isn't usable.

Saying "no" is difficult, but necessary. Rather than making a single 
monstrously big language, we design a modular architecture, in which 
CSS, HTML, SVG, PNG, XSL, SMIL and others complement each other and do 
what they are good at.



Bert
-- 
   Bert Bos                                ( W 3 C ) http://www.w3.org/
   http://www.w3.org/people/bos                               W3C/ERCIM
   bert@w3.org                             2004 Rt des Lucioles / BP 93
   +33 (0)4 92 38 76 92            06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France

Received on Wednesday, 16 July 2008 21:00:11 UTC