From: ietf-bounces(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
[mailto:ietf-bounces(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org] On
Behalf Of Anthony G. Atkielski
Hallam-Baker, Phillip writes:
The problems with HTML are almost entirely the result of
people trying
to give the author control over the final format which is
none of the
author's beeswax.
It has been the author's prerogative for thousands of years;
I'm not sure why that must change now. The author is the
creator of the content, not the reader.
It has been the publisher's perogative, not the authors.
The past ten years represent the anomaly in this regard, not the norm.
Until desktop publishing came along typography was the exclusive
preserve of typesetters, most of whom were trained in the craft.
If you compare LaTeX to more recent document processing mechanisms you
can see how Knuth and Lampson very deliberately set out to automate the
existing typesetting process and styles, not replace them with ad-hoc
DIY jobs.
When we were developing the Web and HTML the typical user had a
character cell based terminal on their desk, high definition displays
were comparatively rare, most were monochrome or limited color pallete.
So the tactic of the author deciding the final presentation was a
non-starter.
But even then we were anticipating the arrival of handheld cell phone
terminals, very large displays and the needs of the disabled. It was
clear that even if VGA became the dominant standard it would not last
very long.
I also agree about the PDF font problem. I do have problems
printing
pdf documents from time to time and every two weeks acrobat asks to
upgrade itself, then if I forget and click yes thinks for a while
before concluding that it can't upgrade my copy which is the paid
version, not the free one.
If the fonts are properly embedded, they are not a problem.
And how pray is the user at either end meant to ensure that is the case?
How do I ensure that my Adobe document creation software will be
compatible with the reader's Adobe document reading software?
Answer: I should never need to bother.
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