• From: "Sean B. Palmer" <sean@m...>
• To: Benjamin Franz <snowhare@n...>, xml-dev@l...
• Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 16:29:30 +0000

> Either way - it's complete nonsense. By any generally accepted
> use of the word 'standard', the W3C specs *ARE* standards.

No! They are most certainly "recommendations" - you're not breaking
any rules (even W3C ones) if you don't use them, and in fact you can
usually modify them for your own purposes. The W3C simply *recommends*
that you use their specifications, it doesn't force you... but that
recommendation is so strong that people often see them as standards.
Also, there is much to be gained if everyone follows the same
specifications. If the W3C recommends it, then many thousands of
developers recommend it also, so why not use it?

But still W3C specifications end up as "recommendations" *not*
"standards". That is a very important distinction to make.

(Speaking for myself)

--
Kindest Regards,
Sean B. Palmer
@prefix : <http://webns.net/roughterms/> .
[ :name "Sean B. Palmer" ] :hasHomepage <http://infomesh.net/sbp/> .

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