[nikcub]

that is how things are developed though, people ship them and they become standards or die.

it wasn't just Microsoft, Andreessen invented the image tag by simply shipping it in Mosaic:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/alt.hypertext/fMl2xRqL...

TBL was against it, as were others. If he went through the theoretical 'standards' process that you infer is the 'right way' it never would have got done

I am definitely of the view of software first, standards second - because it has been proven throughout history to work

[wsc981]

I believe this was the reason the WHAT-WG was started. The discontent of browser developers of the slow moving standardisation process of the W3C.

From the WHAT-WG FAQ:

"The WHATWG was founded by individuals of Apple, the Mozilla Foundation, and Opera Software in 2004, after a W3C workshop. Apple, Mozilla and Opera were becoming increasingly concerned about the W3C’s direction with XHTML, lack of interest in HTML and apparent disregard for the needs of real-world authors. So, in response, these organisations set out with a mission to address these concerns and the Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group was born."