[html5] HTTP precedence

[Keryx Web]

Let's see if there is anyone still on this list...

I was thinking yet again about MSIE 8 and the meta-tag. Now that the 
default behavior has been reversed we are better off, but one 
implementation issue still bugs me.

A character encoding set with a meta element does not override one set 
with an HTTP header. But a an IE rendering engine mode set with a meta 
element may. I reacted to this as a teacher who hates it when things do 
not work in uniform ways. It's like teaching strong verbs - every 
student hates it.

However, there is also a principle about "Authoritative Metadata"
http://www.w3.org/2001/tag/doc/mime-respect

IE 8 violates this principle, as I see it.

In HTML 5 this is no longer an issue, according to Ian, since the meta 
element has been redefined(?) (The list archive is messed up at the 
moment, I can't fin the reference.)

 From a teaching point of view it still is an issue. But what my puny 
brain fails to get is in what way HTML 5 redefines meta, so this is not 
a problem technically. Any explanation?

Also, if the meta element really has been altered I think it should be 
mentioned in http://www.w3.org/TR/html5-diff/


Lars Gunther