Re: How Much Of A Problem Are Tables Used for Design?

> David Poehlman wrote:
 
> One of our biggest problems is the way all those legacy editing and
> creation tools handle markup and that the people using them in large
> numbers do not know a lick of html.

This reminds me of DOS users who lost the battle of being the exclusive
club of computer users because they alone could write programs so their
computer could perform proprietary tasks.

The advent of the graphical user interface represented by the Windows
and Macintosh operating systems allowed the use of computers to become
widely used.

Suggestions that someone MUST be able to write html puts those
statements in that same classification as the DOS users who wanted to
prevent anyone except the "purists" from using the technology.

Point, click, and drag graphical html editors will expand the use of the
technology and seems to be on the brink of being able to provide the
code necessary to provide full access to all computer users - Intranet
and Internet users with and without disabilities.

In the near future the individual who designs a personal, non-commercial
web site will not manipulate the hidden html code any more than the
individual who writes and uses a word processor knows (or cares) about
the program code that makes the software work.

The key is the end process - Does it work? How well does it work? How
much time, energy, and expense is involved in learning to use the
software to achieve the desired end result?

The KISS principle works well - Kept It Simple Stupid.
I get the feeling that there is a secret society promoting Accessibility
and everyone who joins MUST suffer the pain and steep learning process
in order to qualify for membership all the while someone keeps hollering
"Its easy to do, if I can learn how to write accessible code - so can
you!"

Claude Sweet
Educational Technologist

Received on Thursday, 18 November 1999 16:54:34 UTC