Re: WWW: Interoperability Crisis?

Interoperability has been a problem with computer technology since it's
inception.  HTML is not anything new in that reguard.  Just look at the
varied handlign of <table> by browsers, if you forget to have a closing
</table> tag in a page, Netscape will not display the page, while Internet
Explorer will.

Now we won't even get into the Plugin API, ActiveX, etc.  It's not in the
companies interest to support a generic standard, because they maintain
their market position by having proprietary standards and technology.

The resolution to interoperability problems is to limit the API that you
use to calls that can be shown to be compatible between the platforms.  AND
THEN STICK WITH IT.

All of the latest "improvements" in browser technology which claim to
provide wonderful new technology enhancements haven't done anything to
enhance the browser experience.  Indeed, just check out the vast number of
web sites that use tables to format the page into the view that they want,
and therefore force the user to wait for the entire page to load before the
image is rendered.  While I have a cable modem downstairs, I also have a
56K modem upstairs, just to remind myself of the reality of using a modem
to browse the web.  But then that same use of tables forces the user to
look at a page which is limited to the left half of the screen.

All of the recent efforts to create "yet another langauge" for browsers is
pretty much a waste of time.  What is the user going to experience when
they don't have a browser that supports that particular language?  Why not
just put up the information in standard 3.2 HTML and leave it at that?

Wilbur


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Received on Sunday, 21 January 2001 12:19:03 UTC