6 ms·

Capturing webcam and microphone input.

derefr 16y ago
So why isn't anyone pushing to include that in HTML5? (That is, HTML5 the let's-do-new-stuff-with-browsers movement, not specifically the markup language standard.)
- buster 16y ago
  Because you already mentioned the difference: HTML is all about a standard for everyone. Implementing new features on your own is not much different from what Adobe does. For example: Let's say Firefox implements an API for Webcams. Will MS implement the exact same API in IE? Unlikely. First of all, the have Silverlight (i am supposing that Silverlight can access the Webcam as well, but don't know for sure). MS wants to push Silverlight and defend IE marketshare. With MS blocking this feature, it essentially means that noone will use it because every website is developed with the first requirement "Has to reach the vast majority of users", which in the end means "IE support". They would eventually develop an own API, which turns out to be incompatible to Firefox' API if pressure is high enough. Now, if you have the thought "but if MS/Apple/Google/Mozilla/Opera would agree on that new API", that's what the standardization process is all about.
  - derefr 16y ago
    I did actually mean "the standardization process", I was just differentiating from the part of HTML5 that's about, well, HTML. This is more of a feature that belongs in the DOM exposed to ECMAScript, which the HTML5 movement seems to be all about pushing forward the standards for as well.
  - wheels 16y ago
    What you describe is exactly the opposite of how HTML evolved up to this point. Usually precisely what has happened has been that browsers implemented things that the others didn't support, got some traction, were widely copied, and then, finally, standardized.
- benologist 16y ago
  It wouldn't matter if they did, there's always going to be another that that they coulda/shoulda/woulda done that Adobe, MS, Unity etc will do first. Another area where HTML5 is really weak is games, at the forefront is some great examples (http://www.kesiev.com/akihabara/ http://www.kesiev.com/akihabara/ seems to be popular) but they're really only admirable because they're "not Flash" - consumers only care about the result, and the result is sub-par for modern casual gaming - http://www.kongregate.com/games/IriySoft/cursed-treasure-dont-touch-my-gems http://www.kongregate.com/games/IriySoft/cursed-treasure-don.... HTML5/JS/CSS is obviously going to do a lot more than the previous, current antique standards and it's going to be equivalent or even better than Flash in some cases. And if Flash/Silverlight/etc stopped developing right now that might still be true next year.
- mbrubeck 16y ago
  See http://dev.w3.org/html5/html-device/ http://dev.w3.org/html5/html-device/ - "This specification defines the HTML device element, to enable video conferencing from HTML applications."

So why isn't anyone pushing to include that in HTML5? (That is, HTML5 the let's-do-new-stuff-with-browsers movement, not specifically the markup language standard.)

buster 16y ago
Because you already mentioned the difference: HTML is all about a standard for everyone. Implementing new features on your own is not much different from what Adobe does. For example: Let's say Firefox implements an API for Webcams. Will MS implement the exact same API in IE? Unlikely. First of all, the have Silverlight (i am supposing that Silverlight can access the Webcam as well, but don't know for sure). MS wants to push Silverlight and defend IE marketshare. With MS blocking this feature, it essentially means that noone will use it because every website is developed with the first requirement "Has to reach the vast majority of users", which in the end means "IE support". They would eventually develop an own API, which turns out to be incompatible to Firefox' API if pressure is high enough. Now, if you have the thought "but if MS/Apple/Google/Mozilla/Opera would agree on that new API", that's what the standardization process is all about.
- derefr 16y ago
  I did actually mean "the standardization process", I was just differentiating from the part of HTML5 that's about, well, HTML. This is more of a feature that belongs in the DOM exposed to ECMAScript, which the HTML5 movement seems to be all about pushing forward the standards for as well.
- wheels 16y ago
  What you describe is exactly the opposite of how HTML evolved up to this point. Usually precisely what has happened has been that browsers implemented things that the others didn't support, got some traction, were widely copied, and then, finally, standardized.
benologist 16y ago
It wouldn't matter if they did, there's always going to be another that that they coulda/shoulda/woulda done that Adobe, MS, Unity etc will do first. Another area where HTML5 is really weak is games, at the forefront is some great examples (http://www.kesiev.com/akihabara/ http://www.kesiev.com/akihabara/ seems to be popular) but they're really only admirable because they're "not Flash" - consumers only care about the result, and the result is sub-par for modern casual gaming - http://www.kongregate.com/games/IriySoft/cursed-treasure-dont-touch-my-gems http://www.kongregate.com/games/IriySoft/cursed-treasure-don.... HTML5/JS/CSS is obviously going to do a lot more than the previous, current antique standards and it's going to be equivalent or even better than Flash in some cases. And if Flash/Silverlight/etc stopped developing right now that might still be true next year.
mbrubeck 16y ago
See http://dev.w3.org/html5/html-device/ http://dev.w3.org/html5/html-device/ - "This specification defines the HTML device element, to enable video conferencing from HTML applications."