[thelist] Re: learning HTML (authority: w3.org)

Techwatcher techwatcher at accesswriters.com
Tue May 14 16:41:06 CDT 2002


> Message: 42
> From: "Jay Blanchard" <jay.blanchard at niicommunications.com>
> To: <thelist at lists.evolt.org>
> Subject: RE: [thelist] Re: authority for the Web!
> Date: Tue, 14 May 2002 10:46:08 -0500
> Reply-To: thelist at lists.evolt.org
>
> [snip]
> I thought it was Al Gore?
>
> *ducks*
> [/snip]
>
> Doesn't this discussion seem more appropriate for thechat? When I saw
the
> first post in this thread it appeared to be SPAM to me. All hail the
origins
> of the web, and come see our product that is vaguely connected to this
> somehow.
>
> And tips are owed....
>
> Jay
I would disagree that my original post (if that's the one you first
noticed) was more suitable to "chat" -- I was responding directly to
someone who asked where best to learn HTML; from which book. My
response was, the best place to learn HTML, really, is the World Wide
Web consortium (and its hangers-around sites). That's certainly right
on target for this group.

I haven't tried this "tip" stuff before, being somewhat new to the
list, but I'll give it a try:

<tip type="Writing for the Web" author="C. Stein">
<p>The rules for writing on the Web are almost identical to tech
writing rules, since the constraints are the same:<br />
<p>No-one wants to read the whole thing, so give 'em index (search
facility) and table of contents (hypertext, when online); let 'em get
in and out and find it quick.</p>
<p>Use simple declarative sentences: subject-verb-object structure.
(Usual reason for not doing this -- you don't know the subject, and
obscure this with passive voice. DON'T!!!).</p>
<p>If multiple/compound object, use bullets.</p>
<p>Use headings and sub-headings plentifully, but only to about level
4.</p>
<p>If you have to phrase something (a warning?) negatively, emphasize
it (em or strong) -- it takes humans twice as long to process
negatives, and emphasis helps.</p>
</tip>




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