W3C Clarifies HTML5 Logo Is for HTML Only

The W3C has rolled back its definition of what the new HTML5 logo represents:

This logo represents HTML5, the cornerstone for modern Web applications.

In case that isn’t clear, which it might not be, the FAQ gets far more specific on the inclusion of CSS3 in the logo definition (emphasis added):

Is W3C saying that CSS3 is part of the HTML5 specification?
No. However, many HTML5 Web sites and applications do take advantage of CSS3 for styling and presentation.

If you saw my post on Tuesday, HTML5 Finally Gets… a Logo?, then you know that I and many others were frustrated at the further confusion the W3C introduced by declaring that the logo for a particular W3C specification actually includes a handful of other specifications. This needlessly confuses the definition for so many, and worse, muddies the waters on expectations between users, vendors, clients, customers, browser makers, developers, and so on.

The W3C heard the message and just a few hours ago posted an explanation and clarification:

The most unified criticism has centered around the FAQ’s original statement that the logo means “a broad set of open web technologies”, which some believe “muddies the waters” of the open web platform. Since the main logo was intended to represent HTML5, the cornerstone of modern Web applications, I have updated the FAQ to state this more clearly. I trust that the updated language better aligns with community expectations.

The release also addresses the concern that the logo is not yet official, mostly by clarifying the intent of the launch.

It’s still relatively early and the news is still somewhat new, but already there have been blog posts grateful for the clarification, such as Jeremy Keith’s post Clarity. He echoes what many of us feel, that the W3C version of HTML5 is a technical specification and not a collection of other specifications that may or may not be included in any project.

This news also means I have to go back and edit a post I was working on about the status of HTML5 as a buzzword and not a specification.