Re: who determines formatting

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From: Dave_Raggett <dsr@hplb.hpl.hp.com>
Message-id: <9307081135.AA18843@manuel.hpl.hp.com>
Subject: Re: who determines formatting
To: brennan@hal.com
Date: Thu, 8 Jul 93 12:34:58 BST
Cc: www-talk@nxoc01.cern.ch
Mailer: Elm [revision: 66.36.1.1]
Status: RO

>> See, there are at least the following three positions on the
>> "who controls the presentation" issue:
...

> Missing 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.

HTML+ goes along with (4). The format is presentation independent, but
does allow authors to include hints, which may be ignored by the browser.
This will be made clear in the proposed Internet Draft, that I will 
"post" in a couple of days time.

Dave Raggett