Re: New work on fonts at W3C

Adam Twardoch wrote:
>  If this measure allows billions of web users to have access to
>  thousands of high-quality fonts, many of them meticulously optimized
>  for best screen rendering, many of them being potentially crucial in
>  improving literacy and helping preserve languages or writing systems
>  that are on the edge of extincion,
>
>  and finally, if this measure allows millions of web developers to
>  transform and expand the visual aspect of the web by connecting it to
>  the vast cultural heritage of world typography (including the
>  tremendous 500 years of European printing history),
>
>  then I believe the fence, be it even "electric", is still a very
>  small price to pay.
>
>  Between "no freedom" and "all freedom", I choose to choose "as much
>  freedom as I can get", even if a compromise is required.

1. There are free fonts out there and they will likely become more 
prevalent with support for TrueType and OpenType fonts on the Web.
2. These "high-quality fonts" will only be available to "billions of 
[W]eb users" that pay for them.
3. In gaining this "freedom" to purchase licenses, you are sacrificing 
freedom with formats like EOT which, apparently, are patent-encumbered.
4. Much of the problem with being unable to render certain languages on 
the Web reliably will be mitigated by being able to download fonts—any 
font—with the glyphs necessary to display the characters. This doesn't 
require a particularly high-quality font.
5. It's likely that most commercial font vendors will end up licensing 
fonts for the Web anyway rather than denying themselves what will a 
(probably) huge revenue stream.

— Patrick Garies

Received on Wednesday, 17 June 2009 06:57:14 UTC