[whatwg] Suggested changes to Web Forms 2.0, 2004-07-01 working

[Matthew Raymond]

Ben Meadowcroft wrote:
> If we're considering the use of the object element for new types of form
> control rather than new "mark-up" then its use is congruent with the
> existing HTML 4 specification.
[Snip!]
> http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/REC-html401-19991224/interact/forms.html#h-17.2.
> 1

    This clearly establishes <object> as a tag for "generic objects",
which supports the assertion that <object> has no specific semantic
value. Furthermore, read this:

    "Most user agents have built-in mechanisms for rendering common data 
types such as text, GIF images, colors, fonts, and a handful of graphic 
elements. To render data types they don't support natively, user agents 
generally run external applications. The OBJECT element allows authors 
to control whether data should be rendered externally or by some 
program, specified by the author, that renders the data within the user 
agent."

- http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/struct/objects.html#edef-OBJECT

    So, <object> is clearly intended for content that requires plug-ins 
and external programs. To use it for content that is to be rendered by 
the user agent alone is abusive.