RE: DSSSL future

["Pawson, David" <DPawson@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

 Didier PH Martin wrote:

What is your opinion on the following topics:

DaveP. Picking up one of your questions,


c) Do you think that a server transformation solution is better than a
client based solution (like you would find in the SGML/XML kit or Hybrick)?

DaveP

I (with my work hat on) would prefer client side transformations to the
way _I_ like my documents presented. If I prefer large text, due to
a visual impairment, it does not seem right to ask the server to cater
for my needs, but I would like the opportunity to 'do my thing' with
a document I read. Your pretty graphics are not much help to 
a totally blind user, a usemap is no good if I have no ability to 
finely navigate with a mouse, would you put up a suficient range
of options on your site for all users? 

You mention the mainstream presentation formats, and forget the
intent of those media formats. The goal is to present information
in an accessible way, be this for a sighted user or other.
 If I am colour blind, I might hate your colour scheme. 

Put very simply, my stylesheets will always be better than yours
because I present material the way I want, rather than the way
someone else thinks I want it.

Is this the age old  assumption, I know what my customers want?

My vote would go to a client side solution.

That re-phrases the question, how to provide sufficient information
such that I can 'tailor' a presentation to my own needs? A stylesheet
with 'holes' that I fill? A rapid way to link markup with presentation
style?
A ripple through change that I can make to give a first cut, then refine
until I have enough of what I want? For the partially sighted reader,
the huge advantage of having a stylesheet with one location which
I modify to impact font size throughout the stylesheet cannot
be underestimated. 

regards, DaveP

DaveP
http://www.rnib.org.uk


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