Not that I much deal with web stuffs other than using it or setting up a server to serve it...

But, the pragmatic approach nearly always wins. Doesn't really matter if the other one(s) are extremely technologicly superior. They people using and maintaining the standard, will go the way that works first then try to comform later.

Bad habits are supported by the pragmatic approach, but really are they bad habits if they really are doing the work properly? Or is it deemed less than savory merely on the technical front? What about the whole AJAX thing going on, that doesn't sniff like xhtml proper. Close to many standards... but beholden to none, as many of the implemtations are, indeed, browser specific. Some want only to support Microsoft's IE, while other try to code to standards. Which standard was that again?

Try the 2 forked method in testing and see which actually people would rather use or not... also maybe do some rotational DNS and cause these machine to be hit with real traffic and see how things work and if you get calls or problems relating to these...

It is not that I say run production on one or the other, I know how you guys drive the bus, all I am saying, there are enough "browsers" out there that untill you get the real hammers cranking, it will be tough to judge.

But, you can ignore all that and listen to the "pragmatic == good enough" angle and probably not be far from the mark.