"...interoperate with industry standards. Afterall, Microsoft
makes so many standards, it would only stand to reason that we
would interoperate with them."
-----------------
Seriously though, I see a real danger here. By adding functionality in
the absence of industry participation, MCC is driving the balkanization
of web.
Frankly, I freely admit that I was very surprised when I saw Mozilla. I
was very impressed with the professionalism of the interface and
documentation. It is intuitive, easy to use, and very aesthetically
pleasing. So much accomplished in so little time! My (virtual) hat is
off to Marc and crew. I was and am VERY impressed.
Then, I looked at the HTML extensions and was VERY surprised. I was
surprised to see additions to a defacto standard that had never been
discussed in any forum, to the best of my knowledge -- a half-step
towards stylistic management which offers a little more control over the
presentation of the document, but at what cost?
Of course, the web-setters WILL embrace the new markup. It adds some
needed presentational sugar to a diabetic toolset. But we could have
had full stylesheets offering a more comprehensive control over the
presentation of the document. And, if there is one thing we have
learned on the Internet, it is that you cannot put the toothpaste back
in the tube, or the packet back up the pipe.
So now, instead of technology driven by the industry where all
participate and benefit, we see one company driving technology in their
own chosen direction.
By embracing this markup, we will all be agreeing that MCC writes the
standards and so, drives the World-Wide Web.
Marc and perhaps more appropriately, Jim Clark, what it appears you are
doing here is going to damage the web.
</rr> (Wearing his Cassandra sunglasses.)