Re: <draft-ietf-iiir-html-01.txt, .ps> to be deleted.

Dave Hollander <dmh@hpfcma.fc.hp.com>
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Date: Wed, 16 Feb 1994 00:33:58 --100
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From: Dave Hollander <dmh@hpfcma.fc.hp.com>
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Subject: Re: <draft-ietf-iiir-html-01.txt, .ps> to be deleted. 
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My last posting, and Dan and O'Reilly's answers,  got me to thinking 
about the success factors of the Web today and in the future. I think 
the factors are going to change, and quickly. I assume that HTML+ 
should address the success factors of the future. 

Success factors up until the near future includes "Tim's original 
conception of HTML is that it should be about as expressive as RTF",
the robustness of the HTML language and browsers, browser ease of use 
(everyone I have shown it to [NCSA Mosaic] understands how to use 
immediately!), easy to establish servers and the bridging to
ftp/gopher/wais.

In the future, I expect several other factors to become important. These
are:
    1) the willingness of large information providers to subsidize the
		interconnections 
    2) the affordable creation and maintenance of webs
    3) continual browser and server improvements and platform support

In essence, I do believe that commercial web applications are necessary
and that improvements to the interchange language, APIs, etc should
work to support commercial needs. Finally, do this while keeping the 
technology accessible as it is today.

How do I see this impacting the design of HTML+?

   * expressive - every company has an "corporate identity", every publisher
	has their "look". We need style sheets if we keep the language
	semantic (and I hope we do). We could also use an style element
	like the Table of Semantic Styles in SDL.

   * programmable and portable - document publishers have to know what is
	widely supported and what is not. (the same phenomena as PC software)

   * linkage - lots of consideration needs to go into links. The maintenance
	of links is a real problem in my community (online UNIX technical 
	document publishers). At least one level of abstraction should be
	required and specified.

Please let me know if I am off the mark as these thoughts are the basis 
for making judgments about HTML+.

Regards,
Dave Hollander