[thelist] subject switch: websitesthatsuck.com [was Swish...> Critiques]

[Erika Meyer]

1. Gen X, whatever that means, were born between 1965 and 1976, give 
or take a year.
2. Vince Flanders is just a guy with an opinion.
3. Opinions are like... something that everyone has.

rudy wrote:

><tip>
>tables will validate xhtml strict -- you can't use many attributes, though
>(luckily, width="xx%" is still okay)
></tip>

Tables are valid structural markup.  People who want to experiment 
with using markup the way it is supposed to be used might try not to 
use tables for layout, but for... oh, tabular data.

<tip>
To enhance accessibility, include a table summary for tabular data.
http://www.w3.org/WAI/wcag-curric/sam50-0.htm
</tip>

Attributes (like bgcolor) are presentational markup and belong in a stylesheet.

And just to clarify, the exact wording of the W3C WAI priority 2 
checkpoint which deals with tables-for-layout is:
<quote>
Do not use tables for layout unless the table makes sense when 
linearized. Otherwise, if the table does not make sense, provide an 
alternative equivalent (which may be a linearized version).
</quote>

This is a primary source:
http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/WAI-WEBCONTENT-19990505/
Primary sources are Good Things.
http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/00/08/index2a.html

Regarding tips:  you don't even really have to be offtopic to include 
a tip... you might just be enhancing your tip karma... or perhaps, 
like me, you might enjoy going off on an occasional tangent, but as a 
"payment" for your self-indulgence, you include a useful tip.

<tip type="pilfered from someone on monkeyjunkies long ago">

When you think of a good idea for a tip, jot it down and stick it 
into a text file on your desktop... that way you'll have it near on 
hand for the next time you need it.

</tip>

Erika

erika at seastorm.com