GoKawiilHow web standards get rewritten when Chrome, Firefox and Safari quietly diverge from spec
A discussion between Igalia developers highlighted cases where major browsers implement identical behaviour that differs from what the official web specification states, and the fix applied is often to change the specification rather than the browsers. The piece traces this back to the Web's origins, noting Tim Berners-Lee developed HTML, HTTP and the first browser simultaneously in 1989-1990, so specs and implementations evolved together rather than one preceding the other.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
This suggests that in practice, real-world browser consensus can carry as much authority as the written spec, since rewriting documentation is often more practical than forcing three major engines to change matching behaviour. It implies web standards bodies treat interoperable implementation as a form of de facto standardization, which could shape how future disputes between spec text and browser behaviour get resolved.
- Browsers sometimes converge on behaviour that contradicts the written specification.
- In such cases, specs are sometimes updated to match browser behaviour instead of browsers being changed.
- The Web's specifications and browser implementations have co-evolved since Tim Berners-Lee's original 1989-1990 work.
Source: atbrakhi.dev, 2026-09-24
Published there as: “Browsers situationship: When browsers agree but the spec doesn't”
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