WaSP DOM Scripting Task Force

Today the WaSP announced the DOM Scripting Task Force of which I am a member. Its purpose is:

reaching out to standards-aware web developers who have not yet discovered the power of DOM Scripting and to experienced JavaScripters whose current practices do not include web standards and accessibility. In addition, the Task Force will provide accessible, cross-browser example scripts.

The Task Force has its own website — currently with a placeholder design — which currently contains a blog and a few static pages. We fully intend to enlarge this site.

The site also boasts a JavaScript Manifesto which explains the problems JavaScript development is currently experiencing, and the solution we propose.

The WaSP DOM Scripting Task Force proposes to make unobtrusive DOM scripting the cornerstone of all JavaScript programming.

For the exact definition of unobtrusive DOM scripting, as well as the reasons why we feel that it should become the starting point of any JavaScript programming attempt, read the JavaScript Manifesto.

Although many people have helped defining the problems, trends, and solutions contained in the Manifesto, I have been given the honour of writing them all down, and I count the Manifesto as a full-fledged article.

Furthermore the site contains our definition list — which is also appended to the press release. What do we mean when we say "DOM Scripting", "AJAX", or "DHTML"? We hope that the existence of this list will decrease JavaScript's naming chaos.

All in all we're proud of what we have done in the month since the London JavaScript get-together, and though we realise we've hardly begun scratching the surface of the problems JavaScript development suffers from, we hope that this initiative will be the start of a bandwagon-effect that will cause JavaScript to be taken seriously once more.

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