[thelist] Site check: Staples.com
Kasimir K
evolt at kasimir-k.fi
Wed Sep 21 04:31:02 CDT 2005
Shawn K. Quinn scribeva in 2005-09-21 05:02:
> On Wed, 2005-09-21 at 10:08 +1000, Robert Gormley wrote:
>>It's now inappropriate to publish any closed proprietary format material
>>on the web?
>
> I would say for the majority of cases, it always has been.
...
I think that when one makes this kind of statement one should emphasize
that it is NOT a fact, recommendation, specification or anything like
that - it is the writers own opinion having nothing to do with the Web
at large.
> In general, locking up information in proprietary formats (including
> binary executables specific to a given operating system and/or hardware)
> runs counter to the goal of wide distribution of information, which is
> what the Web is about.
When somebody goes and tells with the sound of authority what the web
really is about - unless they are Tim Berners-Lee - well...
From "Architecture of the World Wide Web, Volume One", first sentence
of the introduction: [0]
"The World Wide Web (WWW, or simply Web) is an information space in
which the items of interest, referred to as resources, are identified by
global identifiers called Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI)."
That's what web is about, identifying resources. And about the format of
said resources: "Web architecture does not constrain which data formats
content providers can use."[1]
So when one says that the Web is about "wide distribution of
information" and that it's inappropriate to publish any material in
closed format, then they are presenting their own, very arguable,
opinions as facts - I find that kind of self-proclaimed messianism
rather unprofessional.
.k
[0]http://www.w3.org/TR/webarch/#intro
[1]http://www.w3.org/TR/webarch/#formats
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