Re: TAG Comments on XHTML 2.0 and HLink

From: "Mike Champion" <mike.champion@softwareag-usa.com>
> The W3C simply can't pretend that the first Recommendation
> in an area is sacrosanct, or that local consensus is the
> path to global truth.  Local consensus codified in a Recomendation is
> a way for competing companies and researchers to move forward in a way
> that minimizes the gratuitous differences among their approaches,
maximizes
> the re-use of components, and minimizes the pain to our "customers."
> That's not "global consistency" but it beats hell out of chaos!

One of the unfortunate reasons why we are having these discussions about the
applicability of XLink is that XLink didn't reach even local consensus.
There were many dissenting voices within W3C, and at least 2 working groups
rejected it as a solution. When the vote for Rec came there were further
dissensions.

I personally think that XLink was rushed through process without being
mindful of the problems that this might cause. This shows the value of
following the W3C process closely so that we can be sure that we have
consensus, and that people will use, and implement, our specs.

Steven Pemberton

Received on Thursday, 26 September 2002 16:51:46 UTC