{"action":"created","issue":{"url":"https://api.github.com/repos/whatwg/html/issues/100","labels_url":"https://api.github.com/repos/whatwg/html/issues/100/labels{/name}","comments_url":"https://api.github.com/repos/whatwg/html/issues/100/comments","events_url":"https://api.github.com/repos/whatwg/html/issues/100/events","html_url":"https://github.com/whatwg/html/issues/100","id":104859192,"number":100,"title":"Consider aligning WHATWG main element definition with W3C definition","user":{"login":"stevefaulkner","id":835859,"avatar_url":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/835859?v=3","gravatar_id":"","url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner","html_url":"https://github.com/stevefaulkner","followers_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/followers","following_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/following{/other_user}","gists_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/gists{/gist_id}","starred_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/starred{/owner}{/repo}","subscriptions_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/subscriptions","organizations_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/orgs","repos_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/repos","events_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/events{/privacy}","received_events_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/received_events","type":"User","site_admin":false},"labels":[{"url":"https://api.github.com/repos/whatwg/html/labels/normative%20change","name":"normative change","color":"207de5"}],"state":"open","locked":false,"assignee":null,"milestone":null,"comments":122,"created_at":"2015-09-04T09:39:52Z","updated_at":"2015-10-05T12:39:15Z","closed_at":null,"body":"The main element was designed and implemented based on the concept of there being a single instance within a document, the markup pattern was based on data of [id value usage](http://www.w3.org/TR/html-main-element/#notes) in the wild. The whatwg definition differs markedly from the orginal definition. This leads to [confusion for developers](https://twitter.com/peeja/status/639451464608432128).\r\nThe [W3C nu html checker](https://validator.w3.org/nu/), which is used by many, throws an error when main is used as per whatwg. Data derived from [webdevdata.org](http://webdevdata.org/) shows that >97% of usage of the &lt;main> element is as per the W3C definition and anecdata from users that consume the semantics suggests that one main element per page is the expected and most useful pattern. In general consumers landmark semantics report that the utility of landmarks is reduced as the number/instances of landmark elements in a document increases. \r\nThe alignment would involve changes to the main and body element definitions.\r\ncurrent W3C definitions:\r\n* [main element](http://www.w3.org/TR/html51/semantics.html#the-main-element)\r\n* [body element](http://www.w3.org/TR/html51/semantics.html#the-body-element)\r\n"},"comment":{"url":"https://api.github.com/repos/whatwg/html/issues/comments/145515310","html_url":"https://github.com/whatwg/html/issues/100#issuecomment-145515310","issue_url":"https://api.github.com/repos/whatwg/html/issues/100","id":145515310,"user":{"login":"stevefaulkner","id":835859,"avatar_url":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/835859?v=3","gravatar_id":"","url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner","html_url":"https://github.com/stevefaulkner","followers_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/followers","following_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/following{/other_user}","gists_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/gists{/gist_id}","starred_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/starred{/owner}{/repo}","subscriptions_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/subscriptions","organizations_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/orgs","repos_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/repos","events_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/events{/privacy}","received_events_url":"https://api.github.com/users/stevefaulkner/received_events","type":"User","site_admin":false},"created_at":"2015-10-05T12:39:15Z","updated_at":"2015-10-05T12:39:15Z","body":"--\n\nRegards\n\nSteveF\nCurrent Standards Work @W3C\n<http://www.paciellogroup.com/blog/2015/03/current-standards-work-at-w3c/>\n\nOn 5 October 2015 at 11:55, Philip Jägenstedt <notifications@github.com>\nwrote:\n\n> Let me try to summarize some points that I don't think are contested:\n>\n>    - The main element is rarely used.\n>\n> The <main> element is not widely used yet, it has not been around that\nlong. It's use may appear more prevalent to screen reader users as <div\nrole=\"main\"> and <main> are exposed the same in the accessibility tree and\nare expressed in the aural UI the same.\n\nPerceptions of usage can also be skewed by the use on sites that are\nvisited regularly, for example\n\ngoogle.com\n<https://www.google.com/webhp?ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=main+definition>\nhttps://www.facebook.com/ web UI\ntwitter web UI\nyahoo.com\nlinkedin\n\nAll use <div role=\"main\"> (along with other divs with roles to markup other\nlandmark regions).\n\n>\n>    - When it is used, a single main element is roughly 100 times as\n>    common as multiple main elements.\n>    - The tiny fraction of multiple main elements is all that we are\n>    discussing, as pages with zero or one main element are not affected by\n>    any of the suggested changes.\n>    - Currently, all main elements map to the main landmark.\n>    - Screenreader users report that too many landmarks is a problem, and\n>    that a single main landmark is preferable.\n>    - When looking at pages using multiple main elements, the following\n>    were found:\n>       - Cases which make no semantic sense by any definition.\n>       - Cases that could quite easily be merged into a single main\n>       element.\n>       - Cases where merging them would require marking up other parts of\n>       the page as aside or similar.\n>       - One case of two main elements (desktop/mobile) where it was\n>       intended that one would always be hidden.\n>       - Some use of nested main elements inside article that makes\n>       semantic sense, but doesn't seem useful landmark-wise.\n>\n> Makes semantic sense if using whatwg definition.\n\n>\n>    -\n>       - There is precedent for validator warnings for things that aren't\n>    strictly disallowed but easy to get wrong.\n>\n> (Summary only, no conclusion for now.)\n>\n> —\n> Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub\n> <https://github.com/whatwg/html/issues/100#issuecomment-145494652>.\n>\n"}}