[om] as long as you are bashing Java's technology for-the-future..

[Robert Miner]

Hello all.

Richard Fateman wrote:

> There is also a flaw in assuming that many people will
> upgrade to a newer browser.  

No, in fact there isn't.  There is only a flaw in assuming they will
do it immediately.  

And earlier, he wrote 

> Why don't you solve the harder problems, [snip]

Indeed.  However, I think that at least in part, a tacit assumption in
the development of MathML was that the really hard problems are
political and economic problems, and have little to do with computer
science.  

Decent linebreaking algorithms are not the obstacle preventing major
publishers from making math and science texts and reference materials
available over the web on a widespread basis.  The virtues of Python
as a scripting language don't matter much when it comes to enabling
teachers and students to communicate about math and science using the
web.  

To my way of thinking, Prof. Fateman, and Ka-ping Yee have
been playing the very useful role of 'academic gadfly,' properly
chaffing us all for reinventing the wheel and shying away from some of
the more difficult theoretical problems in this arena.  Points well
taken.  

Nonetheless, MS Word exports MathML (via Mathtype), Mathematica will
import, evaluate and export MathML, and shortly, Netscape will display
MathML.  And on these facts, I rest my defense of MathML as a
contribution to the world methematical community, in spite of whatever
theoretical short comings it may have.

--Robert

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Robert Miner                          http://www.webeq.com
Geometry Technologies, Inc.           email: rminer at geomtech.com
MathML Recommendation Co-Editor       phone: 651-223-2884
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