who determines formatting [was: sp after per]

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From: brennan@hal.com (Dave Brennan)
Message-id: <9307052107.AA06838@hysteria.hal.com>
Subject: who determines formatting [was: sp after per]
To: www-talk@nxoc01.cern.ch
Date: Mon, 5 Jul 93 16:07:45 CDT
In-reply-to: <9307022154.AA05222@eitech.com>; from "Jay C. Weber" at Jul 2, 93 3:00 pm
Organization: HaL Computer Systems, Austin, TX, 512-794-2855
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]
Status: RO

> See, there are at least the following three positions on the
> "who controls the presentation" issue:
> 
> 1) the source should not be allowed to control details of
>    the presentation
> 
> 2) the source should be able to explicitly override browser
>    preferences on presentation details
> 
> 3) presentation defaults should be standardized so that
>    the source determines the presentation on any browser

Mising from this list is my preference:

4) The source should be able to hint to the browser how it should
   be presented.  The browser can choose to ignore these hints.

Unfortunately, there appears to be a clear division on where information
providers and information consumers stand on this issue.  In traditional
media, information provides have complete control over the presentation
of information and do not seem to want to give up this control in the
new digital media.  Users, on the other hand, don't want to be locked
into a specific presentation format.  I can sympathize with the infomation
providers who want information to be viewed in their distinctive format,
but as an information consumer I'm not going to stand for this.

Dave Brennan                                      HaL Computer Systems
brennan@hal.com                                         (512) 794-2855