[whatwg] the cite element

Smylers Smylers at stripey.com
Thu Aug 13 07:13:39 PDT 2009


Erik Vorhes writes:

> On Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 4:59 AM, Smylers<Smylers at stripey.com> wrote:
> 
> > As Ian has pointed out, the above is technically non-conforming with
> > what the HTML 4 spec claims.  But it's how I've been using <cite> for
> > years, since it makes sense and has a use.
> 
> I defy you to show me in the HTML 4.01 specification where something
> like the following is nonconforming:

By "the above" I was refering to my previous paragraphs -- in which I'd
just described my use of <cite>.  I am admitting that _my_ definition
isn't permitted by HTML 4.

I am _not_ claiming that your definition isn't allowed in HTML 4; I'm
claiming that the HTML 4 definition, including things like marking up
names, isn't particularly useful.

For this example:

> <p>I like to read nonfiction, such as <cite>John Adams</cite>, but I
> had more time for that when I was a professional academic.</p>

How do you want that to be rendered?  The conventional presentation
would be for "John Adams" simply to be rendered in exactly the same way
as the surrounding text, with the reader being given no information at
all that those words are in some way special.

Smylers



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