[whatwg] Chipset support is a good argument

[Robert O'Callahan]

On Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 1:44 PM, Ian Hickson <ian at hixie.ch> wrote:

> On Mon, 6 Jul 2009, Robert O'Callahan wrote:
> > Specs do generate demand --- by creating author expectation that a
> > feature will be supported, by adding a well-known brand, and because
> > test suites get created which vendors then compete on.
>
> On Mon, 6 Jul 2009, Silvia Pfeiffer wrote:
> >
> > I agree: standards generate demand. It is how h.264 hardware support
> > originated - by making it a ISO standard, the vendors knew there would
> > be sufficient market demand for it and created the chips.
>
> I disagree with both these statements, I don't think they are in fact
> accurate. Demand can be focused around a specification if one exists
>

Specs can't create author demand for features that authors don't actually
want, but if authors want a general feature (say, simple CSS animations)
then having an implementation of that feature creates demand for that
particular incarnation of the feature, and giving it the CSS WG imprimatur
increases demand further.

Some authors want a royalty-free video codec. We have an implementation,
Theora. I believe linking HTML5 to it would increase author demand for it to
be supported in all browsers, and help those authors make a stronger case.
If I didn't think so, I wouldn't be wasting my time here.

Rob
-- 
"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are
healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his
own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." [Isaiah
53:5-6]
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