Re: textured backgrounds

weibel@oclc.org
Thu, 19 Jan 95 16:16:32 EST

I think we are in dangerous ideological territory, and I feel a bit
schizophrenic about the issue myself. Murray is correct in saying that
publishers want to impose their own look-and-feel on their documents,
and their is value in this for both reader and publisher. It is useful
both to me and to Freeman Publishers that I can identify a page of
Scientific American from across the room.

OCLC has certainly felt a substantial amount of pressure in its
negotiations with publishers for this control over layout and
aesthetic quality.

And yet, the ability to deliver this capability conflicts with the
user-defined flavor of the web, and indeed, the variety of hardware out
there means that the control by originators will be constrained in any
case.

Is there a sensible middle ground that allows, but does not promote,
such specification? Then the market place will be able to sort this
out of its own accord.