Rodent Regatta

Way back in 1997 or so people apparently figured out how to use tables for Internet page layout. By embedding one table into another and so on, rather minute layout effects could be achieved.

Going back to change that layout on a single page wasn’t all that bad, but a site with fifty similar pages required a lot of editing to bring about consistent changes.

Enter web standards, CSS, XHTML, accessibility, etc. There are techniques for better web site design. There are many, many benefits. The best book (I’ve found) on the subject is Designing With Web Standards. There you’ll find all the benefits along with the reasons that standards-based design will carry us into the future.

Doubters need only to visit the CSS Zen Garden for a glimpse of the vision. Without changing a bit of content or the markup for a page, a CSS change can result in all of the different layouts you see there.

For those who simply think there is nothing to the web-standards drive, you should do two things. Continue to use your WYSIWYG editors or let your 13-year old do it for you, and read what Andy Budd has to say about some recent comments on standards. Actually, you should read Andy’s weblog regularly anyway!