doc source format -- rationale

["John Gabriele" <jmg3000@gmail.com>]

Hi,

I was just browsing the main DDP page
(http://www.us.debian.org/doc/ddp) and followed the link to the
"current" (dated 2002?) Doc Policy:
http://www.us.debian.org/doc/manuals/ddp-policy/ddp-policy

Anyhow, for my own docs I recently started using Texinfo, and I've
been quite happy with it. It actually surprised me to see that Debian
doesn't use Texinfo, and I was curious if anyone could explain to me
why the choice was made to not use it.

The policy draft mentions Texinfo (among some other formats) :
http://www.us.debian.org/doc/manuals/ddp-policy/ch-manuals.en.html#s3.1
and notes DebianDoc's shortcomings which include not being able to
include images or tables. Since Texinfo can do these things, and since
it's been the GNU standard doc format for some time now, I'm just
curious to hear what the rationale was for going with DebianDoc.

Thanks!