I agree to a large extent, but sometimes one has to consider:
1. Using MathML or CML is not an option as they are not supported by most (actually used) user agents. CML, one can argue, is also not a W3C-standard.
2. For very simple math or chemistry MathML and CML could be considered overkill. If I just wan't to mention a simple oxygen molecule in a sentence I think it is quite alright to use O<sub>2</sub>. The markup <em>should</em> not cause a screen-reader to say anything special - and that's how I intend it to be. There are many XML-implementations that does a better job at conveying semantic meaning than XHTML for various niche data. I would argue as long as one is writing normal, non-expert level detailed, text, XHTML is doing fine. If I was to write a essay specifically about chemistry it becomes another ballgame, though.
3. Span is no more semantic than sub or sup, if its only used to create a visual effect. I can't see why <abbr title="Mademoiselle" lang="fr">M<sup>lle</sup></abbr> is worse than using a span. Actually I like it better, as the superscript in a way is part of the language idiom.
Lars Gunther Patrick H. Lauke wrote: > In my opinion, sub and sup have a primarily visual/presentational > nature, rather than a semantic one. I'm still puzzled as to why they're > still included in the specs, which does nothing to clarify the *meaning* > of superscript and subscript...only their visual rendering. > http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/struct/text.html#h-9.2.3 > > Even the three examples given are flawed, IMHO: the first two should > arguably not be marked up in HTML at all, but via a more appropriate > (though admittedly not universally supported) one like CML and MathML, > respectively; the third is also just a matter of presentation, and could > possibly be marked up a lot better via > > <abbr title="Mademoiselle" lang="fr">M<span>lle</span></abbr> (with an > appropriate style defined for the span to make it visually render as > superscript). > ****************************************************** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help ******************************************************
