Re: strategy for HTML spec?

Dan Connolly (connolly@pixel.convex.com)
Wed, 13 Jan 93 14:34:40 CST


>I could easily write a robot which would roam around the Web (perhaps
>stochastically?), and verify the html, using sgmls. Then, whenever
>I come across something that's non-compliant, I could automatically
>send mail to wwwmaster@sitename. No one would have to annoy anyone else
>about whether or not they've verified their HTML; a program would annoy
>them automatically.

Sounds cool. This points out yet another thing the WAIS folks did
right: every database has an associated maintainer as part of
the protocol. WWW could learn a lot from WAIS.

>All we have to do is agree to set up the wwwmaster aliases. (In the
>event of bounce-o-grams, we could always annoy the postmaster, or
>failing that, root.)

Perhaps HTML2 will provide a handle on how to get ahold of the relavent
person -- it should!

>This would also be a good chance to map out the entire Web. Anyone
>know any good algorithms for drawing arbitrary directed graphs with
>no overlap?

Ever heard of map coloring problems? You can't draw an arbitrary
directed graph with no overlap. The set of graphs that you can
draw is the subject of great study, I believe. They're called
"planar" graphs.

> Which reminds me, a good directed graph is the right way
>to implement a history mechanism. Somebody want to take a crack at
>it?

This is another area where the HyTime folks have done a lot
of thinking that we should try to take advantage of.

Dan