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Hi Janet and all... Look at this press release from my favorite browser.... http://www.opera.com/pressreleases/20000319.html I never use Internet Explorer and seldom use Netscape... Why? Because Opera runs rings around 'em. Try a free download to a 30 day evaluation.... you will like it... murray On 13 Apr 2000, at 13:17, janet paterson wrote: > Group blasts Internet Explorer 5.5 for lack of Web standards > > Tue, 20 Aug 1996 01:00:00 GMT - MICROSOFT HAS ANGERED the Web Standards > Project for what the group says is the software giant's about-face on a > pledge to support Web standards in its upcoming version of Internet Explorer. > > The Web Standards Project, a two-year-old coalition of developers and users > that promotes the use of standards in Web-page development, issued a > sharply worded statement Monday accusing Microsoft of abandoning its > promise to abide by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards in Internet > Explorer 5.5, due to ship in a few months. > > The release said the Web Standards Project is "incensed by Microsoft's > arrogance" over a standards issue that is crucial to Web developers, > because the dominant position of the Windows operating system, into which > IE has been integrated, will make it nearly impossible for developers to > create documents that adhere to the W3C standards. > > Web Standards Project group leader Jeffrey Zeldman said he was surprised to > find out last week through a Microsoft press release that IE 5.5 would not > support W3C standards, which Microsoft and other computer industry leaders, > including Netscape Communications, Microsoft's rival in the browser market, > agreed to support a few years ago. > > Most notably, Zeldman cited the planned lack of support for portions of > CSS1 (Cascading Style Sheets level 1), a standard established in 1996, and > DOM (Document Object Model) 1 Core. > > After consulting with other members of the Web Standards Project's steering > committee, Zeldman said a decision was made to criticize Microsoft in a > press release. > > The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that in a development in the U.S. > government's antitrust case against Microsoft, the government is > considering a plan to force the company to grant royalty-free licenses to > Internet Explorer and open up the underlying code. Zeldman said, however, > that the Web Standards Project had no opinion on potential legal remedies > in the case. > > "We're hoping that if we make enough noise, they may reconsider," Zeldman > said. "All they have to do is implement the standards." > > Zeldman said Microsoft's decision to depart from Web standards in IE 5.5 > struck him as "bizarre and schizophrenic" because just a few weeks ago > Microsoft released its IE 5.5 version for Macintosh users, which fully > implements the CSS1 standard and HTML 4.0. > > "Microsoft in its Macintosh Explorer division did the right thing [with] > full implementation of CSS1 and HTML 4.0," Zeldman said. > > "We don't understand why they don't think Windows users deserve the same > standard of standards compliance. > > "If they could do it for their Macintosh group ... surely they can afford > to do it for the rest of the market." > > Zeldman said Microsoft's decision was "very divisive," for the future of > the Web because developers who are compelled to write code for IE 5.5 will > be leaving Linux, Unix, Netscape, and Macintosh users out in the cold, > while developers whose code complies with W3C standards will leave Windows > users out in the cold. > > In addition to CSS1, HTML 4.0, and DOM 1 Core, the Web Standards Project > supports implementation of XML 1.0 and ECMAScript, the standardized version > of JavaScript, Zeldman said. > > Netscape last week released a beta version of Netscape 6, which the company > said fully adheres to the W3C standards. > > No one at Microsoft would agree to be interviewed about the Web Standards > Project's charges. > > The company's public relations company, Waggener Edstrom, however, provided > a response to questions submitted in via e-mail. The response said Monday > that Microsoft provides the highest standard compliance of any fully > released browser client. The e-mail message also said Microsoft has > implemented a significant portion of both DOM level 1 and CSS1 support, and > that the company will continue to offer support for industry standards. > > > The Web Standards Project can be found on the Web at > <http://www.webstandards.org> > > Microsoft Corp., in Redmond, Wash., is at > http://www.microsoft.com > > Margret Johnston is a Washington correspondent > for the IDG News Service, an InfoWorld affiliate. > <[log in to unmask]> > > <http://www.InfoWorld.com> is a member of <http://www.idg.net> > > janet paterson > 53 now / 41 dx / 37 onset > a new voice: http://www.geocities.com/janet313/ > 613 256 8340 PO Box 171 Almonte Ontario Canada K0A 1A0