web standards

Despite the fact that Blogger doesn't really pay attention to them (it's true, my blog failed the W3C validation), I've begun to really pay attention to web standards when putting my websites together. I depend on The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) which is the shadowy council of wizards who through archaic rituals and naked rain dancing decide the fate of web-design failures. No not really. According to them:"The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international consortium where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards. W3C's mission is: To lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure long-term growth for the Web." w3.org Although, I like my definition a lot better.

These standards serve as guidelines for developers of Web applications and sites so they (the developers) can build their sites according to those standards. Usually this will ensure that any browser will see the site the way the developer had intended. So even though your site may look beautiful in Firefox, it could look like week old, regurgitated pizza in Internet Explorer (more on that later). But who cares? Why should paying attention to such things really matter? If you have a site, chances are you are providing something. Whether it's a portfolio, a store, a witty blog entry (ahem), or an insipid game, people are going to be viewing your site. So if they saunter on over to your "insert website here," and it looks like the Internet blew up, you are going to lose your audience.

I'm always surprised by the fact that web accessibility is ignored (purposefully or not). A lot of people are still unaware of how important these web standards are, or they assume more people are following them. If you are one of people that believe web standards are universally accepted and implemented and designers/developers strive to maintain the best possible quality in their work, well then you (and me unfortunately) are living on another planet.

Apparently here on Earth, the population of designers and developers who are standards-aware represent a very small percentage of those in the web business. I'm not going to raise my banner and throw a parade in celebration of the fact that I have mastered the web. Even though my code passed validation, there is still a lot more that I can do to make my sites truly accessible. There is a huge learning curve when it comes to the web and I will be a perpetual student. New technologies are sprouting like dandelions. Many developers are set in their ways for the most part. If they are smart and flexible, new technologies won't throw them. However, if they are like the many who remain stubborn, they will continue to churn out crap.

Then there is the other side of the coin - the people like me who look at web design as an art form. I may not do it the right way but I'm always trying to better my work. The problem now for me is finding a balance between my art and the skeletal structure of it all.

So, how do we ultimately find that balance? People need to take a step back and think about why they aren’t following the guidelines that have been in place for some time. Maybe they’re afraid because they know how guilty they are and are afraid of change and fear they may lose business if they do something too radical. Maybe they just don’t know what to do, or perhaps they are just lazy.


Adhering to web standards doesn't just mean making a site compliant. It is a way to provide the best quality possible and accessibility for all. When you make something, whatever it may be, you don’t want to use duct tape where nails should be used or glue where something needs to be welded. Implementing the right tools for a project is just common sense, especially if you want it done right. Usually, paying attention to them as best as you can fixes most problems for web projects. This not only ensures the longevity of a project but easy maintenance.

Now lets talk about Internet Explorer. I've already expressed my general hatred of Internet Explorer, so I won't really go into that much. It has only been recently, that I realized complying with the W3C's standards would make that much of a difference in IE. It wasn't until a site I was working on just flat out didn't work in IE. I knew about the validator but I only ever used it for CSS, which was always perfect. When I ran the site through the validator and had it fix all the errors, the site actually worked. Aside from a few things being a little off; it looked the way I had intended. Everything was where it should be. That doesn't mean I have a new love for IE, it just means I can barely tolerate it a little more than I used to.

In an article from Wired titled Why Internet Explorer 7 Will Break the Web (10/13/06), writer Michael Calore discusses Microsoft's backwards way of approaching the WC3's standards. Even though this article is two years old, the truth it spouts still holds true today. IE 7 is slightly better than it's older siblings, but it still does not match up to its cousins Firefox, Safari and Opera. Calore writes,

Microsoft's next generation browser is due to arrive in a week or two (October 18 is the word on the street), so you'd better prepare yourself for the inevitable meltdown. Much has been made about Microsoft's employment of a backward process for rolling out Internet Explorer 7. The IE7 team asked web developers to download the browser and test their sites against it. Here's the exact wording from a post on the Microsoft Developer's Network published yesterday, October 12: Prior to deployment of IE 7, we strongly recommend that you test your Web sites, extensions, and applications to make sure they are ready. Microsoft recommends that Web sites and applications are ready for the release of Internet Explorer 7 this month.

Way to go Microsoft. Not only is it backwards, but it's just plain ludicrous. Calore agrees with me, "This is totally backwards!” he writes, “Isn't this exactly the scenario that web standards were put in place to prevent?" Microsoft is a member of the W3C, but typical Microsoft likes to dictate his or her own rules. They feel that since their browser is used by approximately 80% of the web surfing public, they can do whatever they feel like. Even issue silly hats with each new user if they wanted. "

(Can I just have the silly hat?)

“To be fair,” Calore continues, Internet Explorer 7 offers more support for web standards than previous versions.” Despite all of this, you still need to do a bit of tweaking to get sites to look identical in Firefox and IE. Apparently people have been complaining and Microsoft actually listened. According to another article from Wired.com, IE 8 will actually adhere to web standards. Scott Gilbertson writes,

Microsoft's Internet Explorer team has backed down and announced that the upcoming IE8 will support established web standards out of the box. The news reverses Microsoft's earlier decision that, while IE would bring improved support for web standards, those features would be disabled by default ... IE8 will still feature three rendering modes, a "super standards" mode, where pages are rendered according to web standards, an IE7 standards mode, which mimics the incomplete support in IE7, and what Microsoft charitably calls IE6's "standards mode" The key change is that by default IE8 will render pages using the "super standards" mode, which means that if you've been creating webpages based on the W3C's established guidelines, IE8 should handle your site without issue (assuming IE8's standards support is as good as the IE8 team is promising).

Excuse me while I laugh. I feel that it would be a cold day in hell if IE actually worked the way it is supposed to. It will also make my job as a designer a lot easier. However the chance that the general web surfing public will download the new IE is very slim. Some people are still stuck on using IE 6, and in some cases IE 5. So while IE 8 may eliminate many issues that its predecessors had, there’s no way of knowing that it will run perfectly. Look at what happened with Vista.

The moral of the story is if Microsoft adhered to the standards from the beginning (which coincidentally, they helped to develop) then we may not be in this situation today. Why is it that Firefox and Safari can work so perfectly and IE is like the retarded kid on the back of the web design bus? (Yeah I'm going to hell).

While I, and many other designers long for a design utopia where everything works, it may be a pipe dream. Microsoft always promises diamonds but we usually end up with rusty fake gold that turns your fingers green.

Anyway, I think I've said all I can about this topic. I'm going to get back to work now - which would involve tinkering with HTML code to make sure it works everywhere. Maybe I should hire those wizards.

shameless plug

I have been involved with an audio podcast drama for a couple months now. I have a role in the cast (although my character doesn't show up for another 3 episodes) so I'm admittedly biased. Even if I weren't I would still support this. My good friend Scott Carelli of podcasts Two Geeks (along with Ben Nobblit) and Couch Surfing(along with John Pavlich), created this audio drama with some of his fellow podcasters. (while I have these links on here, you would do well to go check them out!) I've been invested in this project for about a year when Scott mentioned it to me over Myspace, even moreso now since Scott and I talk on Skype on a daily basis. I've seen this little podcast grow and mature. Even if I weren't in the cast or so invested as I am now, I would still be plugging this. I think the writing, the story, the characters and the humor are top-notch. I also think it's a brilliant idea in general.

So if you're one of those people who likes to laugh and enjoys geek references out the yin-yang, please check out Geek By Night, especially since the first episode debuted today! You can get the feed via itunes or go here to get the show in other formats. Do it now!

Shameless plug over.

No really, this is where most of my money goes

I'm a Mac user. That statement alone will usually get me flayed, drawn and quartered, then repeatedly bashed on the head with a frying pan by most PC loyalists. I fail to see the animosity sometimes. We have the same basic computer hardware. Macs just do things a little differently .... and better. (Okay, you may now get your torches, sharp and pointy things, and stabby stabby knives ready).

This is not going to be an argument about why I think my Mac Book Pro is the best thing since Reese's Peanut Butter cups (because nothing actually is), this is about my abusive, sadomasochistic relationship with Apple. Oh yes, Apple has me bound and gagged and whips me on a daily basis. Dangling shiny, shiny iPhones in front of my face that are just beyond my reach and price range.

The last time I was at the Apple Store, I spent close to 300 dollars, the time before that about 3000 (most of it being my Dad's money), and several hundred dollars prior to that. Software, two iPods, laptop cases, an eMac (which I didn't actually pay for). All in all, I and my father, have given a lot of our money to Apple.

It makes my credit card and my bank account sad when I buy these expensive toys. I could just as easily sell out to Microsoft, but I don't! I continue to return to Apple like a love sick puppy who's been beaten too many times and keeps coming back for more! Or a whore who enjoys really violent, s&m sex. Okay, that was a little graphic.

As sometimes happens, your pretty little Mac becomes possessed by the devil. If you didn't pay for Apple Care (the extended 3 year warranty) or your Apple Care has run out, you can expect to pay out the butt for the repairs. Apple is really good at creating great products that are often fatally flawed. One would think after having 4 Apple computers die on me, that I would run screaming for the hills, vowing to stay as far away as possible from the Apple store. That I had learned my lesson.

And yet, that love sick puppy analogy comes back into view. Apple owns my soul, and as long as they make beautiful pieces of machinery that perform like they were made by God (SOMETIMES), I will be their bitch once more. Whip me again Steve (Jobs that is).

And now, the Apple store is hiring really cute nerdy boys that tend to nerd flirt their way into making me buy something. Damn you Apple! Don't you know that cute nerdy boys are my favorite? That I wish one of them was my boyfriend to get me a really kick ass discount? And you know, a shiny new Mouse on for my birthday? Is that too much to ask?