[FRIAM] ASCIIMathML.js demo

[Owen Densmore]

Executive summary: Can we as a community rely on MathML compliance  
within our browsers?

Details: I've come across an interesting javascript equation builder  
that takes an ascii string in backticks (i.e. ` ... `) and converts  
it to MathML.
   http://www1.chapman.edu/~jipsen/mathml/asciimath.html

This is nifty, but has one pretty bad downside: it requires your  
browser to support MathML.  I seem to recall some hassles like  
downloading weird fonts and so on.  From my notes:
	- MIT MathML Fonts: Mathematica 4.1 TrueType
	  Note: Installer did not include CMSY10 CMEX10 (TeX computer modern),
	  due to a bug.  To stop annoying popup about missing fonts, use:
	  user_pref("font.mathfont-family", "Math1, Math2, Math4, Symbol");
	  Put in prefs.js or use about:config creating new pref.
In other words, your basic 2 hour fussing around.  This may no longer  
be a hassle.

Here's a page where you can build your own samples using ASCIIMathML:
   http://www1.chapman.edu/~jipsen/mathml/asciimathdemo.html

So here's the question: Can we rely on MathML for our collective  
work?  Or do we have to use .gif's for all our math we'd like to  
exchange with one another?

     -- Owen