[TxMt] Re: Convert old HTML to XHTML...

[Jacob Rus]

Methnen (AKA Jamie) wrote:
> I disagree with the hixie article for so many reasons.  Its a 
> preference.  And it's not one that, at this point, really makes a whole 
> lot of difference either way.;
> 
> My favorite of the initial responses to the hixie article:
> http://h3h.net/2005/12/xhtml-harmful-to-feelings/

Just about everything in this post you linked either misses the point, 
or is wrong, or uses fallacious reasoning, or all three at once.

> And just for fun:
> http://meyerweb.com/eric/comment/chech.html?dupe=1

Fair enough.

> I have no desire for an argument but felt the need to answer that last 
> email as I'm tired and probably a bit grumpy.

Yep.  Me neither.

What I think you missed was that the original email in this thread was 
about converting *existing html documents* to xhtml.  There is literally 
no advantage to this, unless there's some need to use xml tools, or some 
plan to integrate svg/mathml/etc. with the old content.  But as both of 
those are unlikely, it's probably a bad idea, as there are several 
disadvantages, as explained in Ian Hickson's article, mainly having to 
do with cross-browser copatibility.

> HTML itself is in such a state of flux right now (and hasn't it always 
> been?) that when we worry about the kinds of things metioned in the 
> hixie article I think we are getting a little silly.

Yes.  Which is why it's stupid to improperly use the rapidly-changing, 
unsupported xhtml, instead of the reasonably stable, and much more 
compatible html, without some particular good reason.

> Writing using XHTML encourages well formed code [...]

Or you could just... write well-formed code anyway...

> But even if they do 
> work out something better we still have to rely on the browser devs to 
> implement it correctly which they never seem to be capable of despite 
> their sometimes best intentions.

It's odd that you seem to get the point here in this last sentence 
though, after having ignored it for the rest of your email. ;)

* * *

Anyway, it's definitely not worth fighting about.  I don't really care 
what you use in your pages.  But the original poster may want to 
carefully consider the reasons for switching existing content to xhtml. 
  It's a lot of hassle for essentially nothing.

-Jacob