> At 03:44 PM 9/7/2005, Christian Montoya wrote: > >I was actually thinking the other day, browsers should be more like > >compilers... they should refuse to parse incorrect code. Then the > >enforcement would be on the output end, too. > Why on earth would I want to use a browser that refused to show me > pages that didn't validate? I'd be blocked from seeing 98% of what's > on the internet.
You're right in terms of what the user wants, but I would say that what the user wants is not what is best for them. For example, we want rich tasty food but it's not what's best for us all the time :) Realistically the horse long since bolted on the concept. But imagine two scenarios: 1) Code compilers were as forgiving as browsers In this scenario, it wouldn't matter how broken, inefficient or vulnerable (security holes) the program was; the compiler would cheerfully let it through and it could end up on your computer. Now think about how often you have to patch the average windows machine to plug up the latest hole. Imagine how much worse it would be if there was even less standards enforcement! :) 2) Browsers were as unforgiving as compilers If this had always been the case, everything you could view on the web would be standards-compliant. Or at least, as compliant as a computer can test for... there would still be any number of ways for the human element to create problems :) So.... it's a nice daydream to think how things might have been; but to introduce it now would be marketshare suicide for the browser concerned. Personally I'd be fine with it; but most of the people on this list do not fall in the "average" category and our pages are more likely to be compliant. I think I'd just love to see the fallout against big application vendors when all of their products ceased working overnight. That was an awfully long way of saying, you're right in the current practical sense; but I think the sentiment is more accurately applied as "if we could turn back time...". cheers, h -- --- <http://www.200ok.com.au/> --- The future has arrived; it's just not --- evenly distributed. - William Gibson ****************************************************** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help ******************************************************
