[html4all] Copy of e-mail to Karl Dubost

[Philip Taylor (Webmaster)]

Note that Karl unilaterally moved this from WWW-HTML and WWW-XTECH
to WWW-Archive .
--------
> Karl Dubost wrote:
> 
>> Philip Taylor (Webmaster) (17 sept. 2007 - 10:05) :
>>> Karl Dubost wrote:
>>>> [snip]. HTML is th[e] sum of the needs of implementers.
>>>
>>> Do you really believe that ?  I find it a terribly depressing
>>> possibility, too awful to want to contemplate ...
>> 
>> yes. And it is not depressing.
>> A specification is not a white paper on a technology. It is not either 
>> research.
>> 
>> Different parties at stake with market needs will negotiate to establish 
>> something that is/will be implemented. It is exactly the same for your 
>> electrical plug specification, the doors of your building, the ethernet 
>> cable specs, etc, etc, etc.
> 
> Right, so where are the "different parties" in your phrase 
> "the needs of implementers" ?  The only parties I can find
> there are implementors -- what about the needs of
> 
> 	o consumers
> 	o designers
> 	o those with special accessibility needs
> 
> and the vision/advice/expertise of
> 
> 	o computer scientists
> 	o human factors engineers
> 	o psychologists
> 	o linguists
> 
> and so on.  If "HTML is th[e] sum of the needs of implementers",
> then the W3C may as well pack up its bags and close down its
> operation, and hand over all control of the future of HTML
> to the WHAT WG.
> 
> Philip TAYLOR
> 	
>