The inert self closing syntax is misleading, though, because if you use it for a non-void element then whatever follows will be contained within the tag.
e.g. how do you think a browser will interpret this markup?
<div />
<img />
A lot of people think it ends up like this (especially because JSX works this way): <div></div>
<img>
but it's actually equal to this: <div>
<img>
</div>This is really easy to detect though, unlike arbitrary rules on what belongs on the inside of an unclosed tag.
Ah, that's true. I think the WHATWG discouraged the syntax, so this might be why.