Re: REL and REV attributes (Was: More comments on HTML 3.0)

Craig Hubley (craig@passport.ca)
Thu, 27 Apr 95 16:30:34 EDT

> >Can we not agree on a small set of generic, useful, non- ad-hoc link
> >RELs? E.g" Next, Previous, Table of Contents, Index and maybe even
> >Author (although I am less fond of the latter, as I can see it leading
> >to lots of spurious e-mail message .... :-o )
> >
> >These all seem pretty non-controversial, and obvious to implement.
> Can I suggest a couple:
>
> NextThread
> PreviousThread
> FirstReply
> LastReply
> NextReply
> PreviousReply
>
> I will be happy to explain these if their meanings are non-obvious.

They are not obvious to *me* (nor, I am sure, to my software). Is the
'first', 'last', 'next', etc., to be interpreted by order posted, order
arrived, or some function that considers the timing of the items to which
the item in question is a reply, etc...? Mailers and newsreaders offer
some flexibility in this regard, because the semantics are *not* clear.

Elm, for instance, permits me to sort my messages about a dozen ways,
each of which implies a different semantics of 'Next'...

I would be happy to collect all semantics, and alternative semantics,
of link types, that anyone can propose, ESPECIALLY those (like the above)
where a clear precedent can be gathered from existing RFCs (SMTP, NNTP)
and other standards (ISO book). I will repost to the list when the ideas
trickle down, say within a week, and we'll see then if there is in fact
any coherent 'core' of link types that could be recommended.

-- 
Craig Hubley                Business that runs on knowledge
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