Topic: W3C and You.

[SteveFJ]

I've noticed that a lot of people use templates that fail to pass with W3C. Which is a pity because a lot of people work hard customising their site to look good.
http://www.w3.org/

Most browsers today are leaning more towards being W3C compliant, and that includes Internet Explorer.

A web site can be made to work quite well with coding errors, but what might not be realised is that where a coding error occurs, it causes the rest of the page to be misread, and that includes anything that might be called in  to the main body area. Depending on the nature of the coding error, while a coding error might not make itself known now it can do in the future due to updates from SMF, SP, and any other mods that might be in use.

What I would recommend is that before using any template or mod, first make sure it passes with W3C. The chances are high in the users favour of having no problems if they do. Problems can be difficult to determine their true cause when they fail.

When making modifications, first make a back up of the page being modified, then check with W3C to ensure the page still passes. If that is done throughout, then issues are much less likely to occur, though they can still happen.

I hope that is helpful to some.

[JBlaze]

This is actually a standard practice for me and any site I work on.

If I am installing a mod/theme on a site, I go through and make sure it is XHTML Strict and W3C Compliant as well.

[Succeded]

Good recommendation. Though most website or theme developers check if they pass with W3C.

[SteveFJ]

Most might, I agree, and I think everyone involved with SP certainly does, but unfortunately it isn't true of everyone. In fact Simple Portal wasn't the first front page portal I looked at because I got to hear of another first, and that currently fails with W3C. I think it's mostly templates though.

Only the other day I checked a template with the style rules not only set in the divs, but in capital letters too, so I'm inclined to think that particular one was done by a designer that's been around for a while but who hasn't kept up with the times.

I might be wrong here, but I also suspect that there are some setting up shop and calling themselves Web site Designers when in fact they know very little, and who might never even heard of W3C.

[ccbtimewiz]

Counter-argument:

http://www.webforefront.com/archives/2007/07/html_5.html

[Costa]

Counter-argument:

http://www.webforefront.com/archives/2007/07/html_5.html

interesting...

[SteveFJ]

I think we've already seen a counter argument set in place and operating as Internet Explorer. A browser that really didn't grasp the idea at all well. Not being compliant with W3C, it sent margins the wrong way, along with over 100 other "bugs". Just to set a margin, divs had to be placed inside divs causing additional layers, and perhaps go missing in some other browsers because of being too deep. Internet Explorer was a Web Designer's nightmare with workaround after workaround.
Internet Explorer 8 is more compliant with W3C and is much less of a nightmare.
Browsers are better understanding the same language when they conform to a standard to display things by. Of course they can only do that when the site designer conforms too, otherwise it can just be disorganised chaos.

I don't think there is any argument against really. It's a bit like saying this should be set in Russian for easier understanding of English.

[ccbtimewiz]

Generally I'd agree with you on the standards, however not all software is compliant with the WC3.

It's unnecessary to become nitpicky or look down on people that have websites that aren't compliant. The only time that you should actually complain and/or report it to the webmaster is when the HTML code is so bad that the site layout is disconfigured to a point of being unable to navigate.

[SteveFJ]

The point I'm trying to make in this topic is that when people conform their sites to W3C standards, they are much less likely to have issues either now or when they could become more obvious with upgrades and updates. I think it's something of particular benefit to people just starting out, so I'm not keen to complicate the issue.