Recently, Mark posted about the XHTML 2.0 spec being worked on by the W3C. Mark's conclusion? He was none too impressed. Today, Jeffrey Zeldman responded.
I've been reading Zeldman's site since I was in high school. For those of you keeping score, that's about seven years now. I've always had a lot of respect for him. He's smart, well-spoken, and has a great sense of humor (if you dig that dry, witty, sarcastic stuff). Send him an email and you'll usually get a response, even if it's just a few quick words of support. He knows a lot, because he's been there, and he's happy to share.
I've been reading Mark's site for a lot less time, but what kept me coming back was that he was doing interesting things, explaining them all the while. Lots of people got caught up in the neatness of it all, and Mark gained a sizable audience. He was implementing new ideas and he was showing us how to come aong for the ride. Mark showed us why standards mattered.
In Mark's post, and Zeldman's response, there's a sense of father/son. Zeldman, one of the people who fought so ardently for standards, and Mark a user who feels frustrated and betrayed.
It's upsetting to see such a reaction to new standards from someone who's been such a strong supporter. It's encouraging, though, to hear someone like Zeldman, someone who's been around for a while, say that it's going to be ok, that the web's not going anywhere, and that we'll be alright in the end.