Why do I have to address different browsers with a prefix for the same css? [closed]

Question

I am curious, as to why some browsers need a special invitation for the same css layout command. Can anyone enlighten me?

Example: CSS-formatting: box-sizing: border-box; (Please consider the border of my box for dimensions!)

Now here come firefox and safari, and they need a special invitation:

-moz-box-sizing: border-box;
-webkit-box-sizing: border-box;

To a simple cat like myself this seems like saying:

1. Browsers: The dimensions I gave you count for the borders of my box!
2. firefox: This also counts for you.
3. Safari: It goes for you as well.

I mean... why? It is exactly the same syntax! Why do I have to tell the same stuff to a specific browser? I would understand if they need a different syntax.. but exactly the same?! Do they like to hear their names being called?

Answer 1

This is the result of different browser engines supporting different things. Those directives simply are aimed at telling the browser's rendering engines that you are looking to use a feature that is still in development/testing or not standard in the CSS specification. Note that not all browsers use different rendering engines.

Answer 2

because these properties are not starndardized by the W3C, they are still in draft, therefore vendors implement their own version - that uses prefixes to avoid clashes with other browsers implementation, or the final implementation after the specs are finalized.