Consider the numbering with html

    <ol><li><li><li></ol>

The purpose is to give the indication that it's a numbered list to the rendering engine in each case. If the spec was to use # # # for a numbered list and a * * * for a bulleted list, it would have have the same result.

That 1. 1. 1. and 1. 2. 3. are both rendered the same is a statement to the loosens of the spec, not the incorrectness of 1. 1. 1.