[Zope] OT: A petition condemning non-standard compliance in IE5

Michael Bernstein mbernstein@profitscape.net
Fri, 19 Mar 1999 11:38:05 -0800


I apologize if for the off-topic nature of this post, but felt it was
too important to ignore.

Microsoft has released IE5, which is non-compliant with many of the
standards that Microsoft has helped author. As widespread compliance to
standards is one of the things that will greatly enhance Zopes success
in the marketplace (i.e. WebDAV, XML-RPC), I felt that this issue
deserved to be aired here too.

The original statement from the WSP can be found at:
http://www.webstandards.org/ie5.txt

Following is an email posted to another list I am on, as I think this
sums up the appropriate responses rather well.

Michael Bernstein

-------- Original Message --------
From: "A List Apart" <post@alistapart.com>
Subject: A List Apart - Special Announcement
To: "Michael Bernstein" <mbernstein@profitscape.net>

Greetings Webmakers.

The following is a special note from our friend Glenn Davis regarding a
somewhat urgent and pressing issue. I won't waste time talking about it,
as
the following explains it all quite well. I hope everyone finds it in
them
to support the cause.

Thanks.

-Brian M. Platz, ALA Co-Moderator


------
Greetings!
  Since 1993 I've done my best to show everyone the good on the web and
to
help anyone who wanted it gain the knowledge they needed to create that
good.  Today I'm asking for your help.  I'm not asking not as Glenn
Davis,
CTO of Project Cool, and not as Glenn Davis, cofounder of The Web
Standards
Project.  I'm asking as Glenn Davis, a man who, for the past six years
has
worked to make the web a better place for everyone.
   Recently Microsoft released their 5.0 browser and after all this time
there is still not 100% support for the standards that make web
development
easier.  Standards that Microsoft helped create.
  Below are three simple letters.  Very to the point letters that ask
one
very simple question.  I'm hoping that you'll pick just one of those
letters and use it to ask Microsoft the very simple question within.  If
you would copy just one of those letters into an email and send that
email
to wasp@microsoft.com I would very much appreciate it.  This email
address
is one that Microsoft set up for email about standards.  I'm also asking
that you pass this email along to anyone else who has ever tried to make
a
webpage.
  My sincerest thanks for the help you provide.


Sincerely and simply,
Glenn Davis

------------------
CSS-1 Letter--------

To: wasp@microsoft.com

Dear Microsoft:
  As a web developer who spends far too much time working around browser
incompatabilities, I need to know when you will offer full support for
CSS-1 in your Internet Explorer browser.  Could you please respond with
the
date when I might expect this?
    If you don't plan to ever support 100% of this standard, then please
let me know that also.  I have my future to consider.  I'm not asking
for
long excuses or explanations from you.  I'd prefer that you respond with
either the date on which that support will occur or the word "never."
Sincerely,
(Your name here)
(Your company name here)


DOM  Letter--------------

To: wasp@microsoft.com

Dear Microsoft:
  As a web developer who spends far too much time working around browser
incompatabilities, I need to know when you will offer full support for
the
W3C DOM in your Internet Explorer browser.  Please let me know when that
will happen.  A simple date will suffice for a response.
    If you don't plan to ever support 100% of this standard, then please
let me know that also.  I have my future to consider.  I'm not asking
for
long excuses or explanations from you.  I'd prefer that you respond with
either the date on which that support will occur or the word "never."

Sincerely,
(Your name here)
(Your company name here)

HTML 4.0 Letter--------------------

To: wasp@microsoft.com

Dear Microsoft:
  As a web developer who spends far too much time working around browser
incompatabilities, I need to know when you will offer full support for
HTML
4.0 in your Internet Explorer browser.  On what date will this event
occur?
    If you don't plan to ever support 100% of this standard, then please
let me know that also.  I have my future to consider.  I'm not asking
for
long excuses or explanations from you.  I'd prefer that you respond with
either the date on which that support will occur or the word "never."

Sincerely,
(Your name here)
(Your company name here)

-------------------