XHTML2 vs. HTML5
XHTML 2.0 has some very nice features that have been added to it different from previous versions. It also deprecates some current tags that are being used, and might make many older pages out-of-date simply by being put in force. It seems that there are quite a few new tags that aren't really needed, even though they would be slightly time-saving (though not by much).
The <nl> tag is basically the same as the <ul> tag that already exists, so why add it? The only difference I can see is that you can make it into a drop-down menu, which would be simpler. Breaking the webpage into separate sections is simple using appropriate <div> tags, so the new <section> tag isn't really needed, though they have found the need to add it. Also, the <l> tag seems very similar to the <p> tag; it merely breaks the line at the end, though I think the <br /> tag works just fine for this same purpose.
An interesting change is the src being able to be applied to any element, so that if whatever is in the src isn't available, then whatever element the src was in would be displayed instead, a handy change, though not necessary. Being able to use a href in any element would be extremely handy though. Some elements can't have an <a> tag around them, and being able to put the link reference in anything would eliminate this trouble. I don't really see the point in the new role attribute, because that can be shown easily without being explicitly stated in a tag.
It seems to me that many of the changes going into XHTML 2.0 are absolutely unnecessary and that it would just be more work for people to learn them all and implement them, than to just keep it the way it is, because it works. Also, it is mentioned that these new standards are not ideal for many different types of websites:
"forum sites, auction sites, search engines, online shops, and the like, do not fit the document metaphor well, and are not covered by XHTML2."
Many, many websites fit into these various categories, and making a language that is not suited well for these is somewhat like discrimination.
The two markups, however, are able to work together at the same time, therefore, it may be best to combine the two and make the language easier and more far-reaching as it would help many web developers and would be easier to get all the changes in that people would like. HTML 5 has some very handy things for those writing the code. Syntax errors in XHTML can mess a page up entirely, and these can be cause by a simple mistype of a user in a form, but in HTML 5, these errors aren't so drastic and most elements will still be able to be displayed as normal.
Both XHTML 2.0 and HTML 5 have their advantages though neither solves all the problems. Those in charge will choose the correct one for everyone to follow, and those of us who are affected get to live with that decision.