On Standards and the Web
In case you haven't heard yet, Firefox 3.5 went live today. Among it's more noted features is support for the HTML <video> tag, which basically tells the browser that it should insert all the functionality of a flash embedded video player at that location. I installed it today, of course, and truth be told I really didn't see all that much difference, except for the <video> tag.
I'm a follower of the blog Lifehacker, which posts a lot of tips and tweaks for everyday life, especially computers. However, a few weeks ago I started noticing content being posted with the <video> tag. If you don't have a browser that supports HTML 5, it doesn't work very well. Did I mention that Firefox 3.5 is the first browser to support this? That's right, mainstream content was already being served in a standard that was only implemented in unreleased browsers.
Think about that for a minute. Also consider that HTML 5 isn't even finished yet. Then think about how far Twitter and Youtube have come in just a few years. Do you see the problem yet? Given how quickly businesses build up on the web, and how quickly they are adopted as the de-facto standards, releasing anything half-finished onto the web is dangerous. Suppose the next Youtube were to build up around the <video> tag, accumulate half the internet's video content, and then the <video> tag standard was changed at the last minute in a way that was difficult for this new video site (by now a cornerstone of social media) to implement? Suppose they simply chose not to change? Browser developers would then be stuck either implementing two incompatible versions of the same standard, or explaining to non-technical users why they can't see the videos of dancing bunnies anymore. In fact, that's very similar in nature to the situation that arose with non-standard tags and Internet Explorer, and we all remember how well that mess went.
Sometimes, unfinished things need to be kept seperate from the mainstream, even if it means you don't get the shiniest bits of tech immediately. I think we might do well to cultivate a little more patience for the sake of sanity a few years later. I also know that I'm not the only one who's noticed...
I'm a follower of the blog Lifehacker, which posts a lot of tips and tweaks for everyday life, especially computers. However, a few weeks ago I started noticing content being posted with the <video> tag. If you don't have a browser that supports HTML 5, it doesn't work very well. Did I mention that Firefox 3.5 is the first browser to support this? That's right, mainstream content was already being served in a standard that was only implemented in unreleased browsers.
Think about that for a minute. Also consider that HTML 5 isn't even finished yet. Then think about how far Twitter and Youtube have come in just a few years. Do you see the problem yet? Given how quickly businesses build up on the web, and how quickly they are adopted as the de-facto standards, releasing anything half-finished onto the web is dangerous. Suppose the next Youtube were to build up around the <video> tag, accumulate half the internet's video content, and then the <video> tag standard was changed at the last minute in a way that was difficult for this new video site (by now a cornerstone of social media) to implement? Suppose they simply chose not to change? Browser developers would then be stuck either implementing two incompatible versions of the same standard, or explaining to non-technical users why they can't see the videos of dancing bunnies anymore. In fact, that's very similar in nature to the situation that arose with non-standard tags and Internet Explorer, and we all remember how well that mess went.
Sometimes, unfinished things need to be kept seperate from the mainstream, even if it means you don't get the shiniest bits of tech immediately. I think we might do well to cultivate a little more patience for the sake of sanity a few years later. I also know that I'm not the only one who's noticed...
posted by Quantum Kitsune at 9:27 PM
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