Re: Toward Closure on HTML

dmk@allegra.att.com (Dave Kristol)
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Date: Tue, 5 Apr 1994 21:13:11 --100
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From: dmk@allegra.att.com (Dave Kristol)
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Subject: Re: Toward Closure on HTML
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Frans van Hoesel says:
> I'm not a real vi adict, but because it is so easy to write html directly
> using any editor one is used to, I am very reluctant to learn some
> editor just to do html (I'm using the zip/jot editor for sgi machines)

> In my opinion the html I use is only because it is so simple. All of
> the exhibits on EXPO were created this way (I don't know about
> Barry's part though).

Let me second that feeling and add a caution.  I favor standardization,
but I would argue for lenient interpretation by browsers, just the
same.  IMO, WWW hasn't exploded in use because it's based on SGML.  It
has done so because it's easy for people with a vanilla text editor to
write stuff easily, even stuff that is, strictly speaking, bogus.

There's probably no surer way to drive a stake through the growing use
of WWW than to put browsers on line that interpret HTML strictly, that
require users to write (absolutely) correct HTML, and that require folks
to use a special tool to create HTML.

Standardize wisely, implement forgivingly.
Dave Kristol