xml-dev - Re: The problem with typography (with or without flow objects)

[James Robertson <jamesr@steptwo.com.au>]

At 21:57 13/06/2000, Sebastian Rahtz wrote:

>David Megginson writes:
>  > That's right -- typography has been in decline since the Web ... no,
>  > make that since desktop publishing ... no, make that since the Linotype
>  > replaced hot metal ... actually, it might go right back to the invention
>  > of movable type.
>
>No. Stop right there. Typography has been up AND down over the last
>few centuries. There is no `golden age' myth. To take my lifetime, we
>had horrible phototypesetting in the 60s and 70s; we had some
>`interesting' changes with DTP in the 80s; since then we have had
>vastly improved digital fonts and typesetter resolution; we have TeX;
>we have excellent new font designs; we have resurgent
>interest in national typesetting standards. Things are good right now
>in many many ways. I claim that XSL FO will take some typesetting down
>a notch or two, from which I hope it will recover. I do NOT claim that
>`the web is the source of all evil and the future is grey'

I am constantly amused that people on this list
are very comfortable with discussing history, philosophy, etc
but are very reluctant to tackle the real world problems.

This thread started as a discussion regarding the strengths/limitations
of FOs, and whether they are worthy of survival.

So why are we talking about the history of the written
word?

Why aren't we talking about what's good about FOs, and
what's wrong about them.

And, more importantly: what needs to be done, what needs
to be changed, and how we go about it.

J


-------------------------
James Robertson
Step Two Designs Pty Ltd
SGML, XML & HTML Consultancy
Illumination: an out-of-the-box Intranet solution

http://www.steptwo.com.au/
jamesr@steptwo.com.au


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