Update user-inactivity.html

[mbgower]

Added a css "note" class to the paragraph following the definition.

Resolves #4117

Note: the reorder for alphabetically listing the definitions, that was previously part of this change, is now covered by #4256

---

Preview | Diff

[netlify]

✅ Deploy Preview for wcag2 ready!

Name	Link
🔨 Latest commit	ca55bb2
🔍 Latest deploy log	https://app.netlify.com/sites/wcag2/deploys/67c2105db9e3310008f542db
😎 Deploy Preview	https://deploy-preview-4122--wcag2.netlify.app
📱 Preview on mobile	Toggle QR Code... Use your smartphone camera to open QR code link.

---

To edit notification comments on pull requests, go to your Netlify site configuration.

[bruce-usab]

Discussed and approved on backlog call 11/1.

[alastc]

Cross linking #4149, I raised an issue after reviewing all the definitions.

[bruce-usab]

Discussed on backlog call 1/7. Mike agreed to split into two PRs since correcting alphabetical order is an obvious fix. The class change is also editorial, but use of NOTES in spec is a sensitive topic. Stays in For discussion.

[bruce-usab]

Discussed on backlog call 3/7. As noted at top, this PR now separates the corrections.

[alastc]

Comment from Gregg in the call: We can't change this to a note as it changes the definition. Could update to join the sentences together, e.g. with a "where".

[GreggVan]

Couple Comments

1. you can't have two sentences in a good definition. In fact there should be no sentences -- the definition should be a phrase that can replace the word/term in the sentence in which it is used
2. A note cannot change the definition in any way. They can only explain what is already in the definition to make it easier to understand. It cannot expand or limit the definition in any way.

now to your suggested change

1. The sentence you want to break off is not a valid note if it limits the definition to only be those cases where -- the method of tracking will be determined by the web site or application.
2. the proper way to handle it if this is the case would be to add that condition to the definition itself - but not as a separate sentence. This can be done with the word "where"

user inactivity
any continuous period of time where no user actions occur, where the method of tracking will be determined by the web site or application.

OR if the method of tracking is not important -- then the note can be

NOTE: The method of tracking is not important but is generally determined by the web site or application.

[mbgower]

A note cannot change the definition in any way. They can only explain what is already in the definition to make it easier to understand. It cannot expand or limit the definition in any way.

I completely agree with this principle, and it is my goal to follow it when creating new normative material. However, the reality is that some notes in the existing standard do clearly affect the definition. The massive discussion we're involved in in #1790, concerning the notes for audio description, is a perfect example. The word "pause" never appears in normative text of the SC or definition; it's in a note, yet it has become the focus of a considerable amount of commentary.

In such cases, the best it seems we can hope to do is either leave things alone and put up with the churn, or attempt to do the smallest change that produces a positive outcome for the standard.

[bruce-usab]

Can anyone think of a scenario where not having the sentence would change the results of an audit? It seems like a pretty obvious statement of fact.

[mbgower]

@GreggVan

you can't have two sentences in a good definition.

This was a motivator in why we were proposing this change. However, note that there are 10 definitions in WCAG that exceed one sentence and a half dozen others that are list structures. Alastair identified a number of other definitions that are constructed similar to this one and seem to be candidates for the second sentence being a note. #4149

In fact there should be no sentences -- the definition should be a phrase that can replace the word/term in the sentence in which it is used

I've noted that almost all the definitions do not end in terminal punctuation, which reinforces that idea; however, I identified 2 SCs that end in periods that can stand without them, and will generate a small normative PR to change those.

[alastc]

Noting that the very first draft of this (for WCAG 2.1), started off as one paragraph. I'm inclined to drop this change, although we should avoid such framing in future.