W3C: HTML5 not yet ready for deployment

The W3C has called for caution concerning HTML5. Interoperability problems exist, with its implementation into production not being recommended.

The W3C, whose role it is to align web standards, also looks to associate HTML5 with the Web of tomorrow. The association still has some relevance according Philippe Le Hégaret, one of the consortiums managers.

In 2007, W3C picked up the work on HTML5 started three years earlier by the Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group. Even today, the standard still needs to be finalised. Having said this, HTML5 has almost become a "selling point", notably by browsers. All of the major browsers are now advertising that they support this function, with the latest being Microsoft with the beta launch of Internet Explorer 9.

The excitement around HTML5 primarily started with the arrival on onboard video which allows you to watch a video directly from your browser, without having to install any plug-in. Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, took advantage of the occasion to heavily criticise Adobe Flash, describing it in such a way it sounded as if it was all but dead.

Interviewed by InfoWorld, Philippe Le Hégaret believes that technologies like Flash Player and Microsoft’s Silverlight still have some good days ahead of them, declaring that "HTML5 isn’t yet ready to be put into production". "It’s still a little early to deploy this because we have encountered interoperability problems".

Of these problems, he noted the amount of video content which browsers and devices could not currently manage as they are not HTML5 compatible at all, like the very popular IE6 browser. HTML5 has also encountered problems related to video codec’s recommended for the onboard video, a question which will remain unanswered in the next standard specification.

This specification and its API’s are susceptible to change, with Philippe Le Hégaret indicating that Web developers should hold off on HTML5 for the moment. It’s not sure that his message will be heard though. He believes that HTML5 will have its full range of functions by mid-2011, and that a final standard won’t be forthcoming for another two to three years.

Philippe Le Hégaret’s arguments haven’t convinced everyone. The current vice-president of engineering at Facebook is someone who for a long time worked at Mozilla, with Mike Schroepfer declaring: "It’s not as if existing browsers are completely stable and interoperable. This is a stupid reason to not use the advances being made by HTML5".  Philippe Le Hégaret responded with "It’s good to experiment with HTML5 and existing implementation, but we shouldn’t hope for stability".