What went wrong in the search HTML element’s standardization
Author: Kaleidea, seasoned software architect, volunteer contributor (individual workstream participant).
I’ve worked 2 months on researching and implementing in 3 browsers the proposed <search> element so that the proposal best addresses developer needs and implementation constraints. I’ve invested an order of magnitude more effort than other participants.
Despite all the great work that’s done at the WHATWG, I’ve had a very counterproductive experience. During the standardization I’ve encountered numerous issues:
- a lack of proper procedure
- lack of research
- ignoring developer feedback
- uncollaborative behavior, lack of professionalism
- suppression and censorship
Due to authority, the issues couldn’t be resolved within the WHATWG. This is the detailed report of what happened in 3 months.