The End Of Time...

...or should I say <time>

This weekend, it has been decided that the HTML5 element <time> is to be scrapped, and replaced with the more suitale element <data>. The attribute pubdate is also to go, entirely! This decision has been made by the editor of the HTML5 Specification, Ian Hickson, on the basis that the primary uses for the element were not being used i.e. making it easier for developers to style and indicate publication times for web documents.

This is all despite the current support within Opera's web browser, the use of the element on some popular websites and also in the default Wordpress theme.

That's more real-world support than many other HTML5 elements can boast (and those elements aren't being cut from the HTML5 spec). What makes the "it hasn't caught on" argument even weaker is that HTML5 is not yet a finished spec, so claiming that no one is using the time element before officially endorsing the time element doesn't make much sense. It's a chicken and egg problem.

null, 31/10/2011, HTML5 Drops the Time Element | Webmonkey | Wired.com [Webmonkey - The Web Developer's Resource | Wired.com], [online]. Available: http://www.webmonkey.com/2011/10/html5-drops-the-time-element/ [31/10/2011].

Voices from throughout the web developer community share the suggestion that <time> remain part of the HTML5 spec, allowing developers to learn how to use the <data> element effectively before removing it completely.

There doesn't really seem to be any solutions at the moment either in attempting to find a replacement or on fact if we should stop using the time element immediately.

One particular view of the unfortunate situation is from the fingertwips of Ben Ward, a platform developer at Twitter...

Ben Ward, Twitter

Resources used for this article:
Webmonkey - HTML5 Drops The <time> Element
.Net Magazine - HTML5 Scraps Semantic <time> Element

Comments

Fortunately it seems that common sense has prevailed with the HTML5 <time> element, as it should be restored to the spec by November 8th. As someone who makes use of it both on Wee_ and as a part of ReferenceIt I'm really glad to see this is the case.

posted by David Turner -

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