HTML(5?)

Bruce Lawson and John Foliot debate the wisdom of WHATWG’s abandonment of HTML version numbers.

Bruce:

The only function of a DOCTYPE is to keep the browser out of Quirks Mode. The HTML5 DOCTYPE <!DOCTYPE HTML> is the shortest string that does this reliably. And note that there’s no version number on that.

John:

My larger objection is around perception of the spec: developers who think that just because it’s spec’ed atWHATWG this week that it’s good to go, bring it on, to heck with permanence and legacy! It’s a continued “fix-it-in-the-mix” attitude far-removed from the real world of large corporations and government.