[webkit-dev] setTimeout as browser speed throttle

[Brady Eidson]

On Sep 30, 2008, at 1:19 PM, Peter Kasting wrote:
> FWIW, I'm in favor of an additional API alongside this one if it  
> enables fully-uncapped timers and higher resolution than 1 ms -- but  
> I don't think that changes the argument for also lowering the cap on  
> setTimeout().

I think it does change the argument...

There are web authors out there who are willing and capable to make  
changes or at least *test* against new web browser behavior or APIs.
And there are web authors out there who are *not* willing or capable  
to make changes or at least test.

If we add a new well specified API that all browser vendors agree on,  
everybody wins.  If we start changing the de-facto reality of  
setTimeout() then the second group of people are potentially hosed.

Providing a properly specified standard for high resolution timers  
gives web pages the ability to run faster timers than the current de- 
facto reality and negates the need to introduce new incompatibilities  
into the already published web by changing setTimeout().

~Brady