I absolutely love this in-depth history of the web, written in a snappy, snarky tone.
In the beginning, there was no CSS.
This was very bad.
Even if you—like me—lived through all this stuff, I guarantee there’ll still be something in here you didn’t know.
It’s Armistice Day in the world of HTML:
WHATWG maintains the HTML and DOM Living Standards.
W3C stops independent publishing of a designated list of specifications related to HTML and DOM and instead will work to take WHATWG Review Drafts to W3C Recommendations.
It feels like the loop is finally being closed on what I wrote about in the opening chapter of HTML5 For Web Designers back in 2010.
Web developers aren’t going to shed many tears for Flash, but as Bruce rightly points out, it led the way for many standards that followed. Flash was the kick up the arse that the web needed.
He also brings up this very important question:
I’m also nervous; one of the central tenets of HTML is to be backwards-compatible and not to break the web. It would be a huge loss if millions of Flash movies become unplayable. How can we preserve this part of our digital heritage?
This is true of the extinction of any format. Perhaps this is an opportunity for us to tackle this problem head on.
This is hilarious …for about two dozen people.
For everyone else, it’s as opaque as the rest of the standardisation process.
Bruce sits down for a chat with Hixie. This is a good insight into the past and present process behind HTML.
Tantek has put together a wiki page to document the arguments for and against adding a new “main” element to HTML.
A well thought-out evaluation on responsive images from Bridget.
This encapsulates the difference between the WHATWG and the W3C: a concern for interoperability matched against a concern for procedure.
I’m getting behind Oli’s proposal to allow non-quoted footers within blockquotes in HTML. Here’s where I quote the design principles to support his case.
A beautifully readable subset of the HTML spec, with an emphasis on writing web apps (and with information intended for browser makers has been removed). Very handy indeed!
The spec previously known as HTML5 is now simply HTML. Good. The W3C are now free to abuse the term “HTML5” to mean everything under the sun.
Bobbie is publishing the interviews he conducted with various HTML5 bods when he was researching his Technology Review article. First up: Hixie.
Here's a little piece of web history: the proposal that was presented and rejected at the 2004 W3C workshop that led to the formation of the WHATWG.
Hixie needs your help. Document examples of augmented video (or audio) such as captioned or subtitled media.
An entertaining and accurate history of markup up to and including HTML5.
Wendy gives some commentary from her ringside seat at the theatre of HTML5.