[thelist] Re: Why code for standards

[Bill Haenel]

> >Why do we want to code for standards?
>
> The often quoted answer is, of course: To keep your code simple and avoid
> browser specific branches , both because of the initial
> production time and
> because of updating.
>
> But this all depends on the browsers following the standards. Since they
> don't do that, why still insist on coding to the standards? I
> don't say it's
> wrong to code following the standards, but I want to know *why*.

This is all so very valid. Standards are useless unless everyone agrees on
them. A key point in most contracts - the final product must meet the
agreed-upon specifications - that is, we don't spec stuff from one side, we
do it mutually, or someone ends up disappointed.

I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but there will be no
'agreed-upon' standards until the entire industry agrees on what those
standards are. This includes the browser manufacturers. Obviously MS and NN
don't give a hoot about what the W3C says. If they did, we wouldn't be
having this conversation. And they're not going to care about any standards
until they're written by an organization with some clout. Either we find a
way to give more umph to the W3C or put all of this in the hands of an org
that already has meaning to corporations internationally: ISO.

Hit me - I said 'ISO' again!

BH