

RE: 4.1 success criteria - proposal for division

From: john_slatin <john_slatin@forum.utexas.edu>
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 11:19:18 -0500
Message-ID: <6AC4E20EED49D411941400D0B77E52F0074B95C1@forum.cc.utexas.edu>
To: "'Lisa Seeman'" <seeman@netvision.net.il>, john_slatin <john_slatin@forum.utexas.edu>, "Xtech (E-mail)" <wai-xtech@w3.org>

Lisa, I don't understand how using percentages helps with possible cultural
bias.  For example, as I understand it you've proposed that level 3
conformance will require adopting 100% of the practices listed in the Advice
section.  Would that mean that only people from Western countries would be
able to claim level 3 conformance? How can we avoid putting-- or seeming to
put-- ourselves and our constituents in that box?


John Slatin, Ph.D.
Director, Institute for Technology & Learning
University of Texas at Austin
FAC 248C, Mail code G9600
Austin, TX 78712
email jslatin@mail.utexas.edu
web http://www.ital.utexas.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: Lisa Seeman [mailto:seeman@netvision.net.il] 
Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 11:22 am
To: 'john_slatin'; Xtech (E-mail)
Subject: RE: 4.1 success criteria - proposal for division

>A further point: even
>in English, it's not always appropriate to avoid the passive.

Yet another example of why the % graded levels are necessary

-----Original Message-----
From: Charles McCathieNevile [mailto:charles@w3.org]
Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 9:05 am
Subject: 4.1 success criteria - proposal for division


I think it is important that any success criteria for language use includes
a list of applicable languages.

For example, there is a proposal not to use noun sequences. In french, one
can reasonably say

  la version du loi de droits de general de gaulle

(either: General de Gaulle's version of the law of rights, or the version of
the law of General de Gaulle's rights).

Similarly, it is proposed that verbs in the passive mood be avoided. (I.e.
the last sentence would fail, twice). I don't know if this applies in all

If we do not think that a criterion works for a particular language, we
should not say anything. If we think that a criterion does not work for a
particular language, we should say so. I realise that this will leave us
with a weaker list than we might have, but hopefully it will encourage
people with relevant expertise to help fill the list. It will also hopefully
mean we avoid saying things that are wrong and would cause problems.



Antipolis Cedex, France
Received on Thursday, 22 August 2002 12:19:31 GMT
