Roland M�sl wrote:
> MSIE has not patent or copyright on "zoom:",
> It's a very usefull feature.
> Also to implement possibilities for visul handicapped.
> 
> So every other browser maker can copy this great feature
>

You missed my point.  Sure, it's a feature that could be useful on 
occasion.  Heck, *any* feature can be useful on occasion.  But just 
because a feature is "useful" or gives the developer a shortcut, doesn't 
mean that it should be implemented.

There are many "useful" technologies that are not patented, that still 
shouldn't be used on the Web because they haven't undergone the 
rigourous standardization process, or they have undergone it and have 
been rejected for some reason.  I wouldn't be surprised if "zoom:" was 
one of those rejected by the W3C, because there are already ways to do 
that in a more accessible, platform-neutral manner (see my previous post 
-- have you had any luck with those suggestions?)

Microsoft doesn't have a copyright on "zoom:", no.  (Although they do 
hold a patent for CSS in general :-/)  That's beside the point.  An 
example from the Mozilla side: XBL (see 
http://developer.netscape.com/evangelism/docs/articles/xbl/) has 
*incredible* capabilities for creating reusable widgets and applying 
stylistic behaviors.  Nobody holds a patent for it, so Microsoft or any 
other browser maker can "copy this great feature".  However, it hasn't 
undergone the standardization process, therefore it shouldn't be used on 
the Web, yet.

--J


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