294 Afterword
If the guidelines of the HTML Working Group of the W3C are fulfilled, HTML5
will probably reach Last Call status in May 2011, by which time it should be clear-
er which features become part of the final web standard in the eyes of the W3C
and which do not. Nevertheless, experimental features of the WHATWG specifi-
cation could potentially find their way into the final version of the standard, pri-
marily the track element for video subtitles or audio with WebVTT (Web Video
Text Tracks) as a format for specifying these. The device element, too, allowing
websites access to input devices such as microphones or video cameras, is a po-
tential candidate for being incorporated into the specification at some time in
the future.
A solution is urgently required to the unsolved questions regarding accessibility
in Canvas, audio, and video, and a decision must be made whether microdata,
RDFa, or even both have a place in the final version of the specification. Harmo-
nizing the various versions of the specification at W3C and WHATWG is also long
overdue.
HTML—with or without the 5 at the end—is most definitely a work in progress
and comes one step closer each day to achieving its goal of becoming the de
facto standard for the Internet of the future. If during your journey through
this book you should stumble across any inconsistencies or even errors, please
let us know. The companion website to this book at http://html5.komplett.cc/
welcome offers plenty of space for comments, feedback, and ideas, in accor-
dance with the join-in spirit of the HTML specification. We look forward to
your visit!