Re: Right Tools RE: Promotion of XHTML

On Tue, Dec 31, 2002 at 07:51:09PM -0000, fstorr wrote:
> 
> What would make it easier would be some kind of basic WYSIWYG CSS
> editor.  For example you select "page heading" (meaning <h1>) then
> select from a list of fonts, font weights + styles, background colors
> etc.  This would then update the css attached to a page.  The actual
> X/HTML editor could run with a series of prebuilt templates (a la
> Microsoft's "Wizards") that could generate 2, 3 column layouts, etc etc
> along with user prompts for things such as <q> <blockquote>, <address>,
> caption etc etc.  If it came with a good set of documentation so that
> new users could be "puppy walked" through exactly why, for example, a 3
> column floated layout might or might be a good idea, and how it works
> (and what exactly "float" is!) in plain, easy to userstand language,
> this might get people more interested in the code side of it.  Add into
> this something like TopStyle's excellent "this won't work in Netscape 4,
> Opera and IE5" thing that it has for CSS and a validator, it would be
> quite a nice tool. And, if the editors generated good code, it might not
> scare the pants off anyone looking at X/HTML for the first time.

I think the point is that no one should have to look at the HTML 
or really understand what CSS is :) It's the content that matters,
not how it's done.  But a tool like this which may aid designers
in the creation of Web templates would be nice.

Does anyone here know of any software developers (or would can collate
a team together) to make such a tool a reality?

> If the specs were easier to understand for the "non-geek" and were
> promoted as "the right way to go" we might see more people using
> standards. There are more and more articles and books coming out about
> accessibility and standards, and maybe if the W3C really promoted the
> "accessible to more users", "easier to update mass content with CSS"
> angles, amongst other things, (yes I know that they do, but how much of
> that is preaching to the converted - people who actually use and read
> W3C.org all the time) people might start to be more interested in the
> workings of a page rather than just presentation.

The W3C specs were never really geared for the general Web development/
design audience - I presume the target audience of the specs is for
those who actually implements Web software, be it user-agents or
editors. 

IMHO, it's not enough to just say the W3C should really promote this
or that - they are comparable to a standards body - lately, when I
describe the kind of standards evanglism I am involved in to non-Web
people, I mention a similarity to the ISO. Don't you think it is really 
up to us, designers and developers who have been converted, to preach 
to our colleagues and educate the next generation of developers?

I wish all a fabulous new year. :)

cheers,
-steph

Received on Tuesday, 31 December 2002 15:28:35 UTC