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[Bug] Footnotes in HTML are semantically incorrect  #77

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@TimidRobot

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@TimidRobot

Description

faq/faq/index.html

Lines 3747 to 3756 in 0bf0734

<h2 id="notes">Notes</h2>
<section id="footnotes" class="footnotes footnotes-end-of-document"
role="doc-endnotes">
<hr />
<ol>
<li id="fn1"><p>Key Publications, Inc.&#xA0;v. Chinatown Today Publishing
Enterprises Inc., 945 F.2d 509 (2d Cir. 1991).<a href="#fnref1"
class="footnote-back" role="doc-backlink">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;</a></p></li>
</ol>
</section>

#76 (comment):

This isn't semantically correct. The h2 of "notes" would need to be inside the section element, as a section generally requires a heading element to denote it.

It could be argued that of the two, the aside is actually a more appropriate element, but it too would need the h2 to be within it as well. An aside does not require a heading element within it, but if one appears for it, it must appear within it.

The MOST semantic, and likely correct route, would be for the endnotes to appear (with the associated h2) within a footer element (instead of a section or aside). As they are meant to be footnotes for the main section, that is the next parent level sectioning element and they would then be semantically associated as the "footer of the main area", which is much more accurate to what the footnotes are in this case.

sooo...

<footer>
<h2 id="notes">Notes</h2>
notes here
</footer>
</main>

As divs are semantically meaningless whether it appears before or after the closing div tag is semantically irrelevant, just whichever one wouldn't throw off the visual styling.

Expectation

HTML should be semantic and provide best possible support for accessibility aids

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