"What on earth are you talking about? The issue as it pertains to the spec was decided over six months ago. Here is the post by the editor of the spec saying so: <a href="http://lists.whatwg.org/htdig.cgi/whatwg-whatwg.org/2009-Jun.." rel="nofollow">http://lists.whatwg.org/htdig.cgi/whatwg-whatwg.org/2009-Jun...</a>. Neither h.264 or Theora are part of the HTML5 spec. The spec is open. Nobody is trying to force a proprietary format into the spec. For that matter, I don't recall anybody ever trying to get h.264 made part of the spec. &#60;video&#62; was format-agnostic from the start, just like &#60;img&#62;. Honestly, I have no idea where you got the idea that anybody was trying to add proprietary extensions to the spec--even Mozilla hasn't claimed that--you really don't seem to be familiar with the subject at all.<p>You also completely missed the point with Dirac. The point is that they are actively blocking their users from using it along with every other format except Theora. Nobody gives a shit about whether Mozilla implements it--they just want to be able to use whatever formats they like without having Mozilla play the role of Daddy--a role that nobody asked them to play and which does not follow naturally from their previously espoused values."<p>If you would stop twisting what I say, that would really help conversation.
Where did I say h.264 is part of any spec?
How is it difficult to understand the difference between flash and codecs for &#60;video&#62;?<p>You may not give a shit about what Mozilla role is but "Mozilla believes the Internet is a global public resource, open and accessible to all." And they intend to keep it that way.<p>"You're doing that thing again where you pretend that everything Mozilla does is automatically the right thing just because they claim it helps freedom. I am saying that that this mistaken, and have cited a very specific thing that they have done and many specific reasons why I think so."<p>So far, you have only talked about how stupid it is because it's not their role (despite it's written in big on their website), people would use flash (which is not to be confused with html) or users cannot view h.264 content (how surprising).
So what is your universal solution? How could you ensure any software (or even browsers derivating from Firefox) will be able to freely access all content on Internet? Just using whatever backend available isn't enough in USA.<p>"All you have done here is repeat your first comment, which was bullshit fanaticism that has more to do with scaring people than it does reality."<p>Of course it's easier to call other names than providing actual facts and logical reasoning.
Again, as it is written in big on Mozilla's website: "Mozilla believes the Internet is a global public resource, open and accessible to all."
So unsurprisingly, they push back patent encumbered format because there is no good way to guarantee "the Internet is a global public resource, open and accessible to all" with patent encumbered formats.
If you have a solution for that, don't hesitate to share it, it would be very welcome by everyone.