> I almost think it would be easier for somebody to come up with an entirely different "web application/dynamic document layout" technology stack with a sane an

> I almost think it would be easier for somebody to come up with an entirely different "web application/dynamic document layout" technology stack with a sane and well-working model all the way through, so that stupid basic things like vertical alignment don't go unfixed year after year after year and we end up with the teetering tower of hacks we have today. Yes, but if someone managed to create a logical, concise Web publishing standard that was something other than a can of worms, it would be a proprietary system, most likely patented. Which means no one would voluntarily adopt it. The advantage of a public, open-source, no-one-in-charge system like we have now is that it's collaborative, democratic, and free. That's also its disadvantage. For a classic counterexample, look at Apple's products -- they create much more consistent and usable products than the rest of the marketplace. But as many have said, Apple is a walled garden. If an Apple product happens to do what you want with no changes, then fine, otherwise you're out of luck. Freedom is messy. Democratic technology seems always to veer toward chaos.