Re: Processing instructions for style tweaks? (HTML validation)

Glenn Adams (glenn@stonehand.com)
Tue, 13 Dec 94 12:03:59 -0500


Date: Tue, 13 Dec 1994 11:48:46 -0500
From: foulser@zymurgy.boston.sgi.com (Dave Foulser)

I agree that servers should serve valid HTML, but disagree that they
should contain validation code. You only need to validate a piece of
HTML once, whereas you typically serve it many more times.

I didn't say the serve should contain the validation code; nor should
it need to validate a document each time it transmits it. What I
mean is that the server should take the responsibility for sending
validated data. How this is implemented is irrelevant. [E.g., a
server could employ an external validating parser when a new document
is "checked in" to its database.]

The question here is about responsibility. The way I see it, (some
popular) current servers are irresponsible and ignore the Internet
dictum of being conservative in what they transmit.

Glenn Adams