Steven Faulkner wrote:
At yesterdays HTML WG issue tracking telecon [1], the issue of headers
not being allowed to reference a td (in the current version of spec)
was discussed.
It was decided by the Chair (Chris Wilson) after discussion and
consideration of the pros and cons that the current spec should be
changed to allow headers to reference a td element.
Chris "took action item assigned to josh and will figure out how to
ensure edit gets made in timely fashion" [1]
"As explained in the Process Document (section 3.3), this group will seek to
make decisions when there is consensus. We expect that typically, an editor
makes an initial proposal, which is refined in discussion with Working Group
members and other reviewers, and consensus emerges with little formal
decision-making. However, if a decision is necessary for timely progress, but
after due consideration of different opinions, consensus is not achieved, the
Chair should put a question (allowing for remote, asynchronous participation
using, for example, email and/or web-based survey techniques) and record a
decision and any objections, and consider the matter resolved, at least until
new information becomes available." [1]
It seems to me that several aspects of this procedure have not been followed:
* There is no need for a decision to be made for timely progress. As far as I
can tell not resolving this issue is not blocking other parts of the spec nor is
it blocking implementors.
* It is not clear that all the different opinions were adequately considered.
For example, I can see no evidence to suggest consideration of my point that
marking up the example table with <th> for all the cells which the UA should
treat as headers, and modifying the automatic association algorithm to cope, is
easier for authors to understand and more likely to be done by authors not
specifically interested in accessibility [2]. Therefore, taking this alternative
approach will do more to improve overall accessibility of the web than simple to
spec, hard to author, solutions like @headers pointing to <td> (this is related
to our "Priority of Constituencies" design principle [3]).
* A telecon does not allow for asynchronous participation.
[1] http://www.w3.org/2007/03/HTML-WG-charter.html
[2] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2008Aug/0632.html
[3] http://www.w3.org/TR/html-design-principles/#priority-of-constituencies
--
"Eternity's a terrible thought. I mean, where's it all going to end?"
-- Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
