-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of russ - maxdesign
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 9:36 AM
To: Web Standards Group
Subject: Re: [WSG] Interview markup?
Drew,
I disagree with your argument (below) for three reasons.
1. Dialogs and Q&A's have the same fundamental need. The speaker and
speakers text, or questions and answers should ideally be tied together - as
they have a direct relationship with each other (name/value sets). The
questions do not need to be related at all. For example
Interview:
<dt>Question 1 - socks</dt>
<dd>Answer to question 1</dd>
<dt>Question 2 - national dept</dt>
<dd>Answer to question 2</dd>
2. The definition list allows for as much rambling as is needed. You can
use block level elements in the definition description, such as the <p> and
<ul> elements. This means you can have something like the following:
Interview:
<dt>Question<dt>
<dd>
<p>Answer - paragraph 1</p>
<p>Answer - paragraph 2</p>
<p>Answer - paragraph 3</p>
</dd>
All these paragraphs, which can ramble as needed, are still completely tied
to the question, via the DT and DD elements.
3. To take this one step further - using your example of one question and
multiple answers (different people answering the same question), the
definition list is still the best method for linking questions and answers.
For example:
Interview:
<dt>Question<dt>
<dd>Person 1 answer</dd>
<dd>Person 2 answer</dd>
Or given an even more complex option:
<dt>Question<dt>
<dd>
<p>Person 1 - paragraph 1</p>
<p>Person 1 - paragraph 2</p>
<p>Person 1 - paragraph 3</p>
</dd>
<dd>
<p>Person 2 - paragraph 1</p>
<p>Person 2 - paragraph 2</p>
<p>Person 2 - paragraph 3</p>
</dd>
Given the example directly above, how would you differentiate person 1 from
person 2 but still tie them both to the same question using paragraphs?
This linking is much harder to achieve using paragraphs, but simple, and
semantically correct using a definition list.
As always, just personal opinion.
Russ
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I'll stand corrected. It could be done as a dialogue but it would have to be
done in accordance with the definition of a dialogue. A dialogue consists of
a dt | dd pair with "each DT naming a speaker, and each DD containing his or
her words". So to work as a dialogue the Q&A, combining your first two
examples, would have to have this structure:
<dl>
<dt>mr. johnson</dt>
<dd>what color are you socks></dd>
<dt>ms oneil</dt>
<dd>I'm not wearing any socks</dd>
<dt>mrs. mcgee</dt>
<dd>how can we pay off the national debt</dd>
<dt>ms oneil</dt>
<dd><p>with rational fiscal policies</p>
<p>and a nice creative accounting wouldn't hurt</p></dd>
</dl>
Your third example would consist of:
<dl>
<dt>mr. johnson</dt>
<dd>what color are you socks></dd>
<dt>ms oneil</dt>
<dd>I'm not wearing any socks</dd>
<dt>major tom</dt>
<dd>ah yeah socks</dd>
<dt>mr smith</dt>
<dd><p>socks are a very over done topic</p>
<p>we need to consider other footwear beyond the simple sock</p>
</dd>
</dl>
The examples you gave wouldn't work as a dialogue by definition. Nor could
the examples be regarded as a standard definition list since a question(s)
and answer(s) are not "a term and a description". You'd be better off with a
heading and paragraph combination.
<h3>Questions: what color are your socks?</h3>
<p>Ms Oneil: I'm not wearing any socks</p>
<p>Maj Tom: ah yeah socks</p>
<h4>Mr. Smith:</h4>
<p>socks are a very over done topic</p>
<p>we need to consider other footwear beyond the simple sock</p>
<h3> how can we pay off the national debt?</h3>
<p>Ms Oneil: with rational fiscal policies</p>
<p>and a nice creative accounting wouldn't hurt</p>
Of course Justin's point may trump everything.
drew
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