The Broken Web?
What is Broken?
Recently,
some very intelligent people have stated that the Web is
broken. Their basis is that the majority of Web content is not standards
compliant. While this is the case, it is more of an issue of the Web
being fragmented rather than broken. After all, to the vast majority of
Web visitors, Web content works for them. Albeit, accessibility
issues are aside and not part of the scope of this presentation.
What
is broken is the manner in which standards have been proposed,
developed and implemented. The time it has taken from proposal to full
implementation has been too long and has placed substantial burden on
Internet communication and emerging technologies.
I
present my personal views and observations on these issues. These
observations are not targeted solely towards the W3C. They are, also,
targeted to members of the standards community, the various Web standards
groups and the entire Internet communication business segment as a whole.
Please
note and understand that this is
currently a work–in–process and will, hopefully, offer
explanation, once this article is completed, of the logic used and the
methods needed to correct these issues. A Peter Drucker view of leadership,
management and markets within the Internet communication business segment
may provide a part of the solution to the problem.
top of page
About the W3C and its
History.
This
was the final paragraph within this
article that needed completion. Reviewing the history of the W3C at this
time is pointless. A later review of what the W3C becomes may have merit
provided they have the leadership and courage to do what needs done.
I believe they lack that leadership and necessary courage. I hope that
I am proven wrong.
top of page
The Mission of the W3C.
The
following is quoted directly from the W3C Web site.
“The World Wide Web Consortium
(W3C) is an international consortium
where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together
to develop Web standards. W3C's mission is:”
To lead the World Wide Web to
its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure
long–term growth for the Web.
The
mission of the W3C is a Herculean task
and a very necessary one.
top of page
The Proposed HTML 5 Specification.
The
W3C has recognized the need to bring some management to the largest
segment of the Web and one that is not standards compliant. The primary
purpose of this new proposal is to reflect the methodology and tools that
have been used to construct Web content in the past.
To
bring some sense and structure to this largest segment, Ninety-five
percent of total Web content, is critical. As browsers evolve and new
technologies emerge, re-work is necessary
so that browsers can continue and more efficiently render Web content
that has been coded poorly.
What
is of significant concern is the length of time, based upon
historical data, that it takes to implement any standard. This traditional
delay reflects significant deficiencies within the methods to create
standards and the processes used to implement any standard. Too much
time is spent on theoretical rather than practical uses. Too much time
and leeway is given to its Working Groups in structuring and debating
standards rather than getting a sound and basic foundation set and
implemented.
Again,
this reflects leadership and management
style of the W3C. Consensus is necessary but it is not necessary at the
expense and deterioration of the issues and problems it is trying to solve.
top of page
Planned Abandonment.
Standards
development should and must have a “planned
abandonment” development and life cycle. Realistic expectation
needs to foster what is good today may not work or be applicable
tomorrow. Attempts to create any specification that is all things is
counter–productive and increases delay in implementation.
HTML
5.0 may recognize, in theory, how, at least, the Web has
evolved. The key to this may well lie in how the specification
is developed. Each specification needs to plan for abandonment. Part of
that plan includes expectation of growth during its evolution to meet
growth and need.
Short
term and immediate objectives need to
be viewed within any version specification. Incremental releases, once
the foundation of the initial specification has been set, can accommodate
the evolution of the Web and the inevitable abandonment of that specification.
NOTE:
Planned abandonment is not the same as
planned obsolescence. The latter is a method to intentionally shorten a
product's life cycle. Planned abandonment is the realistic view that any
product has a fixed life cycle.
top of page
Implementation.
Finalization
and implementation of all current standards needs
to happen immediately. If a particular vendor, whether or not it is a
specific browser, CMS application or development tool, is holding up on
its acceptance of a particular standard, it should not delay the W3C from
taking the standard to its completion.
top of page
Expectations.
Ultimately,
it is and will continue to be
the consumer who determines the usefulness of any standard and the success
of any Internet communication tool and technology. Usefulness to the
consumer will continue to be the speed, efficiency and effectiveness of
how standards help deliver Internet communication. The consumer has no need
to know nor understand standards benefit no more than they need to understand
the composition of metals used within their automobiles.
Developers
need to understand that the
technologies they employ within any project and the technologies themselves
do not determine the success of the project. The quality of the project will be determined
by the end–user and what they perceive to be of value. It will be
the end–user who impacts the entire distribution push of all Internet
technologies by how those technologies serve them.
top of page
Sense of Community.
The
success of a social Web illustrates the value that individuals
place upon a sense of community. How technologies are adapted, to create
a Web 2.0 environment, i.e. a part of its definition, have enhanced the
psychological need of the individual and is the current force that is
driving many Internet communication successes.
That
same perspective needs to be applied to
any unit wherein the unit serves an ultimate function to serve the entire
community. All those involved within Internet communication, including the
W3C and, primarily, its membership need to focus upon how they collectively
and individually serve the community. That community extends to everyone
who willingly launches a Web browser.
More
often than not, when a true sense of
community is affected, adversarial perspectives fall to the wayside.
Such an extended view also serves the purpose of perspective and of
detail that will always exist outside of the immediate project and goal.
top of page
The Unit.
Whenever
any member of the unit fails, the entire unit fails and
takes the hit. Leadership and members, all, must assume responsibility
for that failure.
Every
member of the unit must wholeheartedly support the mission of
the unit. When that fails, the entire unit and success of the mission
are placed at risk.
Each
and every member of the unit must be committed to the unit and
the unit's objectives. There is no room for any self–serving
interests nor is there room for ego. Ego is just a disguise for insecurity.
Members who are not committed to the unit are a liability.
If
that specific member cannot be
re–educated to buy into the unit's mission and objectives,
leadership of the unit must make the necessary decision to discharge
that member from the unit. If leadership cannot do that, then either
the mission of the unit is not of sufficient value or leadership needs
to be replaced.
top of page
Adaptation and Presumption.
Maintain
adaptation. Discard all dogmatic positions and beliefs.
Never presume. Presumption overlooks pitfalls, potential errors and
objectivity.
As
immediate conditions, needs and markets change create the ability
to adapt to those conditions and changes. Nothing remains static.
Understand and realize that what you believe today will probably not
be what you need to believe tomorrow.
Do
not presume anything! Take nothing for
granted. Presumption will always set the groundwork for catastrophic
failure. The one thing that any individual or unit can count on is that
failure will always try to find a way to penetrate the mission.
top of page
Fear.
Be
afraid. Let fear in. Use it, understand it and respect it.
Fear your own failure, failure of the unit and failure of the mission.
Fear failing your customer.
Anyone
who says they have never feared
has never lived or is a fool. Fear will keep you focused and driven.
top of page
Summary.
The
solution to disparities and convergence
failure on practicality may very well reside with the W3C's and their
membership's view on how they view their objectives and ultimately who
they serve. If a Peter Drucker view of leadership, management and markets
were applied throughout, their view would be much more end-user oriented,
as in the absolute end-user of the various technologies, the average
everyday Web visitor who launches their Web browser. Such a view could
very well reduce delays of standards development and their implementation.
It would, also, go along way to reduce the in-fighting that has, too often,
characterized and driven standards development.
The
W3C is in danger of becoming the United
Nations of the Internet, a group of well intentioned people in a highly
ineffective organization. Leadership and a management refocus is needed
and it is needed now. Too much is at stake.
The
Internet, its impact and the associated growth for Web standards
has reached the size and complexity that professional business management
is needed within the W3C.
Consolidation
of the various standards groups needs to occur and
happen under one umbrella, preferably a restructured W3C.
Finally,
the W3C needs adequate sources
of income and funding to expand staff and fund operations.
top of page
Addendum
19 August 07 1058 HRS
EST.
Having
just spent the last eight hours reviewing and studying
WHAT
WG IRC logs covering a several week
period, I come away with one single descriptive noun —
abortion.
I
take that view not so much from a technical aspect, I was more
interested in looking at intent behind actions, at attitude and
perspective of the working group's participants. It is those intangibles
that formulate final product. This is from public logs of communication.
I cannot begin to fathom what must go on and thus demonstrate attitude
within private communication between these standards working groups and
their participants.
I
have asked questions on various technical Web logs [blogs] as to why
certain critical fields of expertise were not represented within the working
groups. I now understand why they do not participate.
I
simply don't need the working groups nor does the market need you.
Technology and markets will always find a way. I understand the Adobe
and Mozilla collaboration and it is a necessary thing. It is just
another indication of what may be coming. If such collaborative efforts
continue, expand, become even more focused and result in the creation of
communication delivery joint ventures and thus fragment the Web, so what.
Business
and the consumer will still find
ways to communicate effectively. The consumer drives that and not some
herd of diminishing white elephants.
top of page
If you have any questions regarding the Broken Web, please
e-Mail that boinkin guy.
End of the Broken Web Content.
.
Drucker Quotes.
The computer is a moron.
The most important thing in communication is to hear what
isn't being said.
Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately
degenerate into hard work.
Quality in a product or service is not what the supplier puts
in. It is what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for. A product is
not quality because it is hard to make and costs a lot of money, as
manufacturers typically believe. This is incompetence. Customers pay only
for what is of use to them and gives them value. Nothing else
constitutes quality.
Management by objectives works if you first think through
your objectives. Ninety percent of the time you haven't.
Simplicity.
Keep things simple and stupid. If it is not broken, do not try to
fix it. It simply clouds things and uses valuable resources and time.
Do not worry about how initially, for example, HTML 5 should resolve an issue
of dialogue presentation within Web content. That issue is already addressed
by existing standards with the definition list. Get the basics done to
solve the immediate issues.
Browsers.
Do not place unreasonable demands or expectations upon resources.
Understand and accept for whom that resource ultimately serves.
Browsers have no consumer use to present non-functional detail that
is not directly applied to successful rendering of Web content that allows
the Web visitor to use and interpret the Web content.
Expectations or desires to have a browser indicate non-standard
compliant code is simply foolish. The consumer is already facing information
overload. Resources cannot afford to be diverted that are best applied
to pressing issues such as security.
Complete Things that are
In Process.
Any issue that remains in process for too long requires close scrutiny.
Decisions should be made on the value of those processes. If the process
is of value, complete it! Stagnation serves nothing.
If a standard is valuable, implement it! Take it to its completion.
Reasonable and strong arguments can be presented that failure to carry
aural style sheets to completion and implementation have sufficiently
stagnated development of affordable audio technologies that could be capable
of rendering written content. Now, that starts to approach true device
independence.
Focus.
Keep focused. Do not succumb to extraneous influences that do not
directly impact the success and outcome of the mission. This includes
making those necessary and difficult decisions to keep the team focused.
Too often, for example, the communication dog is getting wagged by
the SEO [Search Engine Optimization] tail. For most Internet communication
business models, external marketing programs and word of mouth will be the
successful vehicles that pull product through distribution.
Let SEO algorithms do whatever they do and take the heat when they fail.
Do not let fear of the use of hidden text that is used to communicate
visual aspects of design preclude its use simply because a search engine
may frown upon its use.
Humility.
Learn humility and understand that processes, ideas, products, solutions
etc. do not revolve around nor exist for the specific individual.
Humility also enforces that charisma in leadership to achieve goals is
not possible nor practical. More often than not, pressing market pressures
require leadership to circumvent popular consensus and require the need to make
very real and hard decisions.
You are not elite. At the end of the day, the success of the product
is determined by the customer's opinion of the product. A good product or
service is there to make the customer feel good about themselves.
Attitude.
Attitude is critical. Use it to inspire and to lead! This includes
getting into the mud, the dirt and the line of fire.
Lieutenant General Lewis “Chesty” B. Puller,
USMC:
They are in front of us, behind us, and we are flanked on
both sides by an enemy that outnumbers us 29 to 1. They can't get away
from us now!
The Marines were cut off behind enemy lines and the Army had written
the First Marine Division off as being lost because they were surrounded
by Twenty-two enemy divisions. The Marines made it out inflicting the
highest casualty ratio on an enemy in history and destroying seven entire
enemy divisions in the process. An enemy division is 16500 plus men
while a Marine division is 12500 men.
350,000 enemy troops stood against Chesty Puller and his 12,500 Marines.
It was not a fair fight. The opposition forces never stood a chance.
Chesty, wherever you are, god damn it, give the sons a bitches hell!
One Hell of a Marine.
Lieutenant General Lewis “Chesty”
Burwell Puller, USMC.
Born: 26 June 1898.
Died: 11 October 1971.