I'm not saying they are. I proposed using different labels for fields containing data types we treat as numbers and another for fields containing other strings,

I'm not saying they are. I proposed using different labels for fields containing data types we treat as numbers and another for fields containing other strings, even if they only contain numerals and aren't really 'text.' People writing HTML shouldn't need to know about data types— they're describing the semantics of data and not instructions for handling it. That the label number does not apply to the vast majority of input fields with number in their name— cc number, phone number, account number, etc.— is a naming failure. It's an implementation detail that opposes common usage and it should be changed.