Roughly at 17:00 CET till 18:00 CET there was a second public chat, this time with HÃ¥kon Wium Lie, CTO of Opera Software. Thanks to all who contributed by asking questions, and to HÃ¥kon for answering them =)

I've been the CTO since I joined Opera in 1999, but the role has changed much since then. I used to run development along with Jon, but these days we have a mucm more professional head of engineering. I've always done standards and layout, and generally all things cool. Also, I like fightging Microsoft.

Keep HÃ¥kon's job role in mind, and ask your question in #PartyQuestion :)

Lukian asks: HÃ¥kon, While looking at the slideshow, I am reminded that Opera's slogan is "The fastest broswer on earth". Do you believe there are browsers on other planets?
If there are, I hope the've documented the specs better than we have...

Kildor asks: About CSS3, how do you think, when it become working standart, like CSS1 now?
Kildor, CSS3 is a bunch of specifications that proceed ralatively separately. It's sort of organic: some will die, some will live. Currently, I think CSS 2.1 is much more important for the web and that's why we're testing many dark corners of CSS 2.1 in the Acid2 test.

Do`` asks: are you planning on striking back to the other browser companies that state the feature that they are ready to implement are already part of opera? i miss the aggressive ads that would really fight for the truth and popularity ( this question is to the part with 'fighting microsoft' and other evil )
I'm not sure how to best deal with marketing claims. I do know that it's importatnt to have a browser people can really use -- download and get going in seconds -- rather than reading a brochure and signing forms to get access to it. In the embedded market we're the oly browser that has this feature
E.g., we often see claims that other browsers support CSS

rObkE asks: You obviously support standards, what do you think about Mozilla's support?
... css2, but they will never let us test it...
rObkE: Mozilla is pretty good. Their and our support for standards are comparable, I'd say. I respect them a lot, even though I -- of course -- prefer our product.

manxstar asks: Would you accept a boxing match with Blake Ross (FireFox creator). Do you think you would win?
(We need to have fun as well ;) )
I know a bunch of the Mozilla people, but I've never met Blake. Is he strong?

Asle asks: What do you think about sites that i blocking Opera on purpose? Like this one does: http://environmentalchemistry.com/
I think I could beat Bill, thogh
I've seen that one, yes. It's important to prioritize one's frustrations -- that one doesn't make it to the top of my list.

JKing asks: There's a lot of excitement about SVG, but its conformance requirements are very complex and steep. What do you think are the biggest obstacles to producing a complete SVG implementation, once you have the Tiny feature-set down?
I think interoperability testing is lacking in the SVG world. We've spent years on this for CSS and CSS 2.1 is mostly an interoperable version of CSS. SVG will need years of work before it's interoperable...

dohz asks: Have you ever considered working for Mozilla?
dohz: no, I've never considered working for them.

ROBOd asks: Why did Opera Software pick to implement Voice features with all those related web standards so soon? The technologies implemented in Opera are far away in the future from becoming used by mainstream web sites, just like CSS was 5 years ago.
(haavard) Also note that there are other markets that voice would be useful for (mobile, verticals...)

Indyan asks: Opera still doesnt support some of the advanced features of Gmail.Is Xhttp support going to be improoved anytime soon?
Gmail and other advanced applications are pushing the limits of what browsers can do. That's great, and we will make sure we can run them. Also, we'll work hard to make the applications run on mobile devices. Finally, we have to make sure the techniques are documented somewhere and WHAT WG is an effort to do so.

aroedl asks: Isn't alcohol all-too expensive to celebrate the Opera Party in Norway?
It's a myth we propaget to keep the Swedes away... Shhh....
s/propaget/propagate/g

Icehat asks: Another dumbass question: do you like Opera music?
Icehat: I love Opera. Even Wagner! Really.

Icehat asks: What are the specs of your computer at work?
I use my laptop always and everywhere. I's an IBM thinkpad X30 -- 1.2GHz or so, 512MB memory, 60GB disk. 1024x768 pixels. Light. Runs Ubuntu LInux.

ROBOd asks: how you like the "all-new, brand-new and polished" Internet Explorer 7?
As you can see, I'm not a speed freak. I tend to stick to machines that keep working reliably rather than switching to somthing new. It's also important to not have faster machines than most other users -- we should also feel the pain....
They have made some improvements in the UI, it took them 4 years or so. I was very disappointed that they didn't fix any rendering bugs. They have promised some fixes, but will not support Acid2 fully. That's a mistake.

Indyan asks: Sir,I was wondering how is your name pronounced?Is it really pronounced as Howcome ?
Indyan: "howcome" is close, but not perfect. You have to be born and bred in this country to say it right, I'm afraid
The last name is not pronouced "lie", but rather "lee".
"Hack-n Lie" is another option, ofcourse.

ROBOd asks: can you express your feelings about William Henry Gates the 3rd?
I've never met him. I had lunch with one of his men, Ballmer, though. I believe they are hardworking successful man that, unfortunately, not have accepted the responsiilities that comes with their size and power.

Jazmo__ asks: So what is typical workday for you? Do you code or is it more like sending mails and speaking on phone?
I don't read or write Opera source code. I code in HTML, CSS and other web languages, but email takes most of my days. Sometimes meetings, although I try to cut back. Phone confereces are also common. I like lounging on a couch, bean bag or bed while working....
Where I'm most productive though, is in the shower. It'a great place for thinking.
I shower a lot.

PowerUser asks: You all use emacs I assume?
Absolutely, I've been using gnu-emacs since 1987 and have found no reason to quit.

eps asks: working in a company that actively tests compatibility of our software with firefox and opera (most of our programs are webbased now, activex/java/js horrid mixtures) and is interested in linux, what efforts are you making to support (I hate the idea too, but it would be handy for bussiness) activex webbased apps under windows (and possibly linux as we are moving to FOSS in as many areas as possible)
Active-X is a security threat and a windows-only solution. I don't think it would do us much good to support it, although I have sympathy with your position.

Jakub81 asks: Did you (or: will you) implement support for CSS3 selectors in the new (Opera 9?) core?
Jakub81: I should know the answer to that one, I'm afraid the deatails are slipping me at the moment. CSS3 Selectors is one of the most mature CSS3 modules and I think we should support it.

ROBOd asks: Will Opera ever have something like iCab browser which shows a crying smiley face when a page contains invalid code? That would let users know about which sites are better and would also give the devs an impulse to follow the standards.
Actually, I implemented that feature in the Arena browser (now historical) in 1994. I think it's great and have been suggesting it internally. However, there are thousands of good ideas, but only that many developers....

Danimal82 asks: I am wondering, what do you think the world would be like without microsoft?
Danimal82: a better place, I believe. Although windows, word, powerpoint and other applications have made computers easier to use for many, I consider the PC -- as MS developed it in the 80/90s to be a dead end. Only the internet saved it, and we didn't need MS for that.

(To answer some questions about women at Opera: yes, we have women at Opera. Yes, some are coding ;) )

RedPing asks: freedom of choice in the mainline. Is that round now in the level of smart devices (smartphones, tablet pcs, handhelds, and so on)? Is this the new battlefield?
Yes, I think so
MS won the desktop, but the mobile market is much more open. I hope we can build it on standards -- so that we don't battle unnecessarily.

We'll have a few more questions now, it's 6PM :)
Joshtek asks: What do you feel is special about software development?
It's so easy to get started -- all you need is a computer. In other areas -- math, physics, music -- you often need years of training to make a difference.
This is also why I'm against software patents -- it's so easy to have good ideas in this field.

keny asks: What do you think of firefox, being another very popular browser that has been accepted as an alternative to IE? Do you like being compared to it(should opera be an alternative to it or rather "different")?
keny: Opera and FF are different in many ways, but it's still a fair comparison. I think users should compare the two and use the one they like best.. In some areas there is no comparision. E.g., only Opera runs (for real) on mobile devices. I have a lot ot respect for the Mozilla people, but I believe Opera is a better browser.

Thank for posing questions and reading answers. I enjoyed it! <howcome@opera.com>

The original log is also available.