[whatwg] RDFa is to structured data, like canvas is to bitmap and SVG is to vector

[Ian Hickson]

On Sun, 18 Jan 2009, Shelley Powers wrote:
> > 
> > The more use cases there are, the better informed the results will be.
> 
> The point isn't to provide use cases. The point is to highlight a 
> serious problem with this working group--there is a mindset of what the 
> future of HTML will look like, and the holders of the mindset brook no 
> challenge, tolerate no disagreement, and continually move to quash any 
> possibility of asserting perhaps even the faintest difference of 
> opinion.

I'm certainly sad that this is the impression I have given. I'd like to 
clarify for everyone's sake that this mailing list is definitely open to 
any proposals, any opinions, any disagreement. The only thing I ask is 
that people use rational debate, back up their opinions with logical 
arguments, present research to justify their claims, and derive proposals 
from user needs.


> Regardless, I got the point in the comment. That, combined with this 
> email from Ian, tells us that it doesn't matter how our arguments run, 
> the logic of our debate, the rightness of our cause--he is the final 
> arbiter, and he does not want RDFa.

For the record, I am as open to us including a feature like RDFa as I am 
to us including a feature like MathML, SVG, or indeed anything else. While 
I may present a devil's advocate position to stimulate critical 
consideration of proposals, this does not mean that my mind is made up. If 
my mind was made up, I wouldn't be asking for use cases, and I wouldn't 
be planning to investigate the issue further in April.


> I am not paid by Google, or Mozilla, or IBM to continue throwing away my 
> time, arguing for naught.

It may be worth pointing out that, many of our most active participants 
are volunteers, not paid by anyone to participate. Indeed I myself spent 
many years contributing to the standards community while unemployed or 
while a student. I am sorry you feel that you need to be compensated for 
your participation in the standards community, and wish you the best of 
luck in finding a suitable employer.

As far as Google goes, we have no corporate opinion either way on the 
topic of RDFa in HTML5. We do, however, encourage the continued practice 
of basing decisions on data rather than hopes.

-- 
Ian Hickson               U+1047E                )\._.,--....,'``.    fL
http://ln.hixie.ch/       U+263A                /,   _.. \   _\  ;`._ ,.
Things that are impossible just take longer.   `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'