The business cares that its information is accessible. In the case of a media release, the more accessible, the better the outcome, more people get to hear the message.

The business relies on technologists to make systems, to help achieve its outcome. A gap arises because the business does not understand enough about the potential of the technology, to realise its full potential. Therefore it may buy an inferior system.

HTML is an example, but it will apply elsewhere too e.g. podcasts, RSS, SMS, flexible LCD displays, etc.

People like Jason, who understand both worlds, can reduce that gap, through describing the vision.

Ideally over time, a consensus will form over what is the best way, and the business will start to buy based upon a checklist of requirements, and the inferior systems will disappear.

If you care about a technology, in your business, then perhaps the question is “how do I speed up this process?”.

Geoff does raise an important point about the distinction between the message and the medium, however, I think successful online communications must, by definition, be accross both aspects.

The HTML in the original release is actually not all that fine, by any stretch.

Your point about coding client sites is, however, something we can discuss. Do you separate the creation of the message from the delivery mechanism? You obviously advised them to go with the SMR, why not advise them to, for example, mark up the quotes using the blockquote element?

BTW: If you are going to critique people’s work like this, you owe it to them to spell their name correctly.