Currently, the default action for pointerdown reads:

"Varies: when the pointer is primary, all default actions of the mousedown event plus firing of compatibility mouse events"

Although now I understand what is meant based on clarification given here http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-pointer-events/2014JanMar/0152.html the wording may still be confusing, at it still - on first skimming the table - reads too much like ALL compatibility mouse events are ONLY fired after pointerdown, and conversely that cancelling pointerdown would stop ALL compat events from being generated.

I'd propose a slight rewording that hopefully captures the reality (that yes, pointerdown does in fact "control" SOME compat events, and that cancelling it conversely does stop SOME of them) a bit better.

It's easier, in my view, to talk about the opposite of the default action - i.e. what happens when the event is cancelled - so my preferred wording would be:


"Varies: when the pointer is primary, all default actions of the mousedown event. Cancelling this event also sets the PREVENT MOUSE EVENT flag for this pointerType, which prevents subsequent firing of certain compatibility mouse events."


As ever, a bit verbose, and the fact that I'm describing the opposite (what happens when the default action is prevented, rather than what the default action is) may not be ideal...but I'm struggling to find a way to word the exact opposite in a sufficiently accurate way.