Rodent Regatta

My experience with web design is approaching three years of turmoil, torment, torture, trials, tribulations and fun. Yes, fun. In spite of thinking about throwing a computer across the room at times, I enjoy trying to figure out how these great designs and designers work. It hasn’t really been three years, nor has it been anything like full time effort or even a realiable five or ten hours a week of study, but I’m not where I would like to be.

One of the frustrating things is getting the terminology straight. I’m not talking just about tags vs. elements vs. attributes vs. values, etc. It’s stuff like validation, valid, well-formed and semantic that throws me. When I read Jeffrey Zeldman’s book and the remarkable piece that Dave Shea wrote, I understand. When I sit down to do something, I realize I don’t understand.

Now, here comes D. Keith Robinson with a focus on the concept of semantic writing or semantic mark-up. I’m clueless within three paragraphs. Now, in which of these books will I find this one?

I told someone today that these great designers make this stuff look as easy as the professional golfers make that game appear. I remember a time when I didn’t just think about throwing a golf club.