I've always told my friend (who runs a New Media firm) to get his designer to create valid xHTML pages instead of using the default standard HTML 4.01 spec for their websites. I've cited a number of reasons to support this. One of the most important being is that xHTML is better served to mobile devices as the xHTML Mobile-Profile spec conforms to the xHTML 1.1 standard. And if a page is a valid xHTML, some device-readers could 'read out' the webpage to blind people.
xHTML 1.1 pages must be served application/xhtml+xml MIME type which IE and some other browsers doesn't support. On the other hand, xHTML 1.0 (whatever DOCTYPE it may be - Strict, Transitional, Frameset) can be served as text/html if it follows the xHTML 1.0 spec guidelines - but even then its not considered to be valid xHTML ! Anyway, that's the summary of a long story.

So much for xHTML that, at the time I created all my pages xHTML 1.1 but never served it from the server as xHTML 1.1 (tag-soup). I even started trying out xHTML 2.0 (which is still in draft mode) only to find out that's its pointless as w3 doesn't really validate 2.0 properly. After realizing that xHTML 1.1 and 2.0 pages need to be served application/xhtml+xml, I fell back to xHTML 1.0 which many web guys do.

A month ago, W3C, after much pressure from an independent body called WHATWG, drew the HTML 5 W3C Editor's Draft 28 June 2007 draft ! Yep, a new version of HTML is on the way. HTML 5 and xHTML 2.0 are under development but which one will successfully take over ? According to HTML 5's new site's timeline, the final Recommendation would be in Q3 of 2010 ! As for xHTML 2.0...I guess they're still trying to mend it.

I guess this is good news for GUI-editor designers who really don't care if its HTML or xHTML - because they depend on DreamWeaver and the like to do all the markup-code work even with inline CSS.

So which one will win the race ? xHTML 2.0 or HTML 5.0 ?

Links :
No to XHTML.
Microsoft's Windows live Writer (WLW) Team Lead at WLW groups' discussion on why he refuses to close the <li> tag.

I am total XML fan, wanting to have almost everything propogated via XML. I once posted in a PHP forum regarding ROR (Resources of a Resource) which is a replacement for robots.txt but in XML format. When I asked for others opinion, one response I got was from nielsene who said : Ugh, please no. I hate the growing trend to XML-ify everything. XML is a useful technology, but its not a pancea. In many cases it only adds overhead to both storage and processing. Now, I agree to his point of processing, but then again, processing techniques have become increasingly faster and storage is multiplying by second. I find a similar trend taking place in domain of USB devices. I was searching for an online store to buy the cool Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard and found that it was available at thinkgeek. I was checking out other cool high-tech products and realised that the sitname thinkgeek was just right - theres hardly anything available that would be of interest to the general consumer. Only geeks would even think of buying it ! What the heck is someone going to do with a USB Rocket Launcher or Star Wars Force FX Lightsabers connected to his PC's USB port ? Atleast they could've been connected via bluetooth to get rid of the confinement. Anyway, I was going through some of the USB-based products that could interest me.

Roll-Up Keyboard Additional Connectivity: PS2	FrogPad Additional Connectivity: PS2
StealthSwitch	7" Widescreen Digital Frame with USB Host
Linksys Network Storage Link	USB Data Link Transfer Cable
USB Skype Phone	Surround Sound USB Audio Adapter
Prodikeys MIDI Keyboard	External USB Video Card
eStarling Wi-Fi Gmail / Flickr Enabled LCD Frame Additional Connectivity:Wireless 802.11 Network	USB FlexLight
USB Battery Charger	4-Port USB Hub Illuminated Mousepad

If I need to connect all these devices to my PC via USB, I would need 14 extra USB ports ! And these are only the ones I would I want to get now. As my list grows, I would probably need like a 100 USB ports. Do you think this is defintely USB-ifying everything ? English is now the standard universal way for communcation across different territories. XML is becoming the way for software. And now its USB for hardware. I think this justifies the need for a atleast one common channel for propogation in every aspect. I dont think we are -ifying everything, we just need atleat one common route. Now, where can I buy a multi-USB-connector connected via bluetooth ?