[whatwg] Correcting some misconceptions about Responsive Images

[Matthew Wilcox]

On 17 May 2012 17:00, Rafael Weinstein <rafaelw at chromium.org> wrote:
> As a UA "implementor", this seem to me to be purely a success story
> for the single reason that it drew so much developer participation.
>
> Regardless of what makes it into the spec, the worst possible outcome
> would be if the developer community learned the lesson that UA
> implementors are hostile to/dismissive of their problems, ideas and
> solutions.
>
> It seems to me like there's a problem of "walking a mile in someone
> else's shoes" in both directions, but ultimately developers are our
> customers -- not vice versa.
>
> If it's required for either "camp" to go the extra mile to accomodate
> the other -- it seems to me that it ought to be us.

It's been a series of unfortunate things to be honest.

1) First off many members of the CG have been working on the adaptive
images problem for close to a year at this point.
2) When a few went to the mailing lists some months ago, we were met
with the realisation that Hixie was not even aware there was a problem
(at this point it had already had months of outspoken and loud
attention in the wider community, including a few publications in
major web sites and magazines). That the 'lead' of the WG was ignorant
of the issue left a few of us incredulous.
3) Then because the mail lists are not friendly to newcomers members
of the group were mis-directed to form a spin off group.
4) Then the more recent communication fiasco with regard to srcset and <picture>

The problem of miscommunication and poorly documented
newcomer-unfriendly channels is not new. The rub on this one is *just
how much work* has been put into the subject - as I say, close to a
year - and then the realisation of so much seemingly being a waste. Or
at least not seen to be valued, used, or openly discussed by the
WHATWG, before some other (apparently random, to us) idea got pushed
forward. As I say, the CG have discussed all of this openly, published
in prominant magazines, done our due diligence research into any
number of existing solutions etc.

To see srcset appear from the shrouded mists of the WG mailing list was a shock.