[thelist] Re: Table-less CSS Design and XHTML (convincing editor to use same)

[Techwatcher]

Hi, Hershel --

> The
> site manager is NOT a techie and does not know HTML nor obviously
XHTML,
> CSS, XML etc.  He expertise is as an editor of the content of the
site.  The
> CMS is being built by a third party (who is giving him a deal) and
basing
> his code on another successful site of the same size and structure.
>
> I would now like to approach the site manager with the idea of table-
less
> CSS design *now* while the site is still being developed.  What I
need are
> articles (a few perhaps) which are understandable to a semi-layman
but which
> would convince him of the benefits of table-less CSS design and maybe
even
> convince him of the benefits of XML and XHTML

Editors know what stylesheets are! I'm pretty sure if you simply
explain that CSS allows you to change the stylesheet ONCE in order to
change the appearance of ALL your pages, that will be all
the "convincing" the site manager will need.

If you suspect you might need more, create the simplest possible HTML
for a simple (very short, sample) story, with the simplest possible
tags -- HTML, HEAD, TITLE, BODY, Hn, and P's and *show* him this code.
Then show him it rendered by the browser. Then show him how that same
file can look hugely different by simply changing which style sheet is
referenced in the LINK statement. (Make two different style sheets,
obviously, merely altering text-align to center for some heading tags,
background color, etc.) Even if you're a newbie, you can do this much.

Editors will get it. Really.

Cheers --
Carol Stein
techwatcher at accesswriters.com