The Web Standards
Project, a coalition of web developers and users, has denounced
Microsoft's IE5.5 Windows browser for "focusing
on proprietary technologies which are certain to fragment
the
already-troubled Web space".
The group, who only last month praised
Microsoft for the
quality of CSS implementation in Macintosh IE5, are having
trouble understanding the apparent anomaly in Microsoft's
commitment to standards support. Jeffrey Zeldman, leader of
the WaSP group:
We are incensed by Microsoft's arrogance, and
perplexed by its schizophrenic decision to support standards
on one
platform while undercutting them on another.
The group was "outraged" by the continuing lack of full
DOM Core Level 1 and CSS1 support, exasperated by
Microsoft's neglect
of standards they helped to create. Zeldman accused IE5's
creators of "predatory" behavior:
Coming on the heels of Netscape's preview release, it's
hard not to view this as exactly the kind of 'predatory'
behavior the U.S.
Justice Department laid at Microsoft's door. If Microsoft,
as the dominant
player, undercuts Web standards on its prevailing Windows
platform,
developers will be helplessly spun in Microsoft's direction,
killing the
dream of a Web that is accessible to everyone.
Related story: ZDNet reports on Internet Explorer: Will
Microsoft lose rights to Internet Explorer?.
Update: this story has since been removed from ZD's
site. Here's
why.
Disclosure: Simon St.Laurent, quoted in the WaSP press
release, is also a contributing editor to
xmlhack.