Microsoft gets involved with HTML 5
HTML 5 is coming. It won’t be here tomorrow but the HTML 5 specification that has been ‘under construction’ since June 2004 could be more than just the next major revision of the hypertext markup language – it could be a game-changer that makes rich internet application (RIA) plug-ins like Flash, and Silverlight and JavaFX unnecessary.
As the web has evolved from a collection of “pages” to a collection of “applications”, RIA technologies like Flash have grown in prominence because the functionality and user experiences required to create increasingly sophisticated internet applications surpass what can be done with basic HTML. HTML 5 is being designed to change that and is expected to provide new capabilities, including:
Of course, to accomplish this, all of the browser makers will need to play along. Earlier this month, Microsoft signaled that it’s taking internet standards more seriously as a posting it made to the W3C mailing list indicated that the Internet Explorer team is reviewing the HTML 5 specification and would “share...feedback and discuss this in the working group”.
Whether Microsoft’s participation in the HTML 5 working group truly evidences a willingness to work for standards remains to be seen. Indeed, Microsoft’s posting noted that “At this stage we have more questions than answers”.
Right now, HTML 5 is years away and therein lies the problem. By the time the HTML 5 specification has been finalized, it’s almost certain that the market will have evolved even further.
Already, proprietary technologies are entrenched. Companies have made significant investments in RIAs like Flash and Silverlight and in the case of Flash in particular, penetration is so high as to make the technology ubiquitous.
Because of this, the question for consumers, developers and technology companies is whether the HTML 5 specification really matters. While its virtues are very appealing in theory, the slow speed at which the HTML 5 spec is being hammered out demonstrates that building a specification and doing it with broad-based consensus is a time-consuming process that really can’t keep up with the commercial needs of the web.
While we can hope for the best with HTML 5, the reality is that business will go on as usual and proprietary technologies will continue to be developed and adopted because the individuals and companies that use the internet can’t wait around.
As the web has evolved from a collection of “pages” to a collection of “applications”, RIA technologies like Flash have grown in prominence because the functionality and user experiences required to create increasingly sophisticated internet applications surpass what can be done with basic HTML. HTML 5 is being designed to change that and is expected to provide new capabilities, including:
- The native display of audio and video content through a standard interface.
- A “canvas” that supports 2D drawing on a web page.
- Drag-and-drop support.
- Support for running scripts in the background.
- Local data storage permitting applications to “work offline”.
- New form controls for common elements such as dates, times, emails and URLs.
Of course, to accomplish this, all of the browser makers will need to play along. Earlier this month, Microsoft signaled that it’s taking internet standards more seriously as a posting it made to the W3C mailing list indicated that the Internet Explorer team is reviewing the HTML 5 specification and would “share...feedback and discuss this in the working group”.
Whether Microsoft’s participation in the HTML 5 working group truly evidences a willingness to work for standards remains to be seen. Indeed, Microsoft’s posting noted that “At this stage we have more questions than answers”.
Right now, HTML 5 is years away and therein lies the problem. By the time the HTML 5 specification has been finalized, it’s almost certain that the market will have evolved even further.
Already, proprietary technologies are entrenched. Companies have made significant investments in RIAs like Flash and Silverlight and in the case of Flash in particular, penetration is so high as to make the technology ubiquitous.
Because of this, the question for consumers, developers and technology companies is whether the HTML 5 specification really matters. While its virtues are very appealing in theory, the slow speed at which the HTML 5 spec is being hammered out demonstrates that building a specification and doing it with broad-based consensus is a time-consuming process that really can’t keep up with the commercial needs of the web.
While we can hope for the best with HTML 5, the reality is that business will go on as usual and proprietary technologies will continue to be developed and adopted because the individuals and companies that use the internet can’t wait around.
posted by Matthew O'Riordan at
19:35
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