Hi, Edward,

"Does it matter that one selected a more specific context?"

Very much so. As a general rule, the more specific the pattern, the higher 
its priority.

Check out http://www.w3.org/TR/xslt#conflict

You can also set the priority for a template.

<xsl:template match="something" priority="10"> will pretty much ensure 
that this template gets applied when the something element is matched, 
regardless of what other templates exist for the something element.

<xsl:template match="something" priority="-10"> can be handy for ensuring 
that at least some template is reached - an "if all else fails" template.

Jay Bryant
Bryant Communication Services
(presently consulting at Synergistic Solution Technologies)