Web Standards

Web developers are constantly trying to address the problem of inconsistencies between the renderings of web pages by different browsers. The most popular browser is Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6 & 7, and now the just released Internet Explorer 8. Firefox is number two by market share. Notable others are Safari, Opera, Netscape. Each browser, especially older versions, has quirks and bugs. In order to make a website look and work the same in all browsers, it can necessitate either time-consuming double/multiple coding. New technologies, such as phones with the ability to access the web, further complicates matters.

You're saying, "I just want a website. Why do a need to know this tech-speak?"

Fair enough. The answer is that there are many hucksters out there that will build you a website that has SERIOUS limitations and shortcomings. At minimum you should know what questions to ask a web developer. For example, do they even know what web standards are?

Writing web pages in accordance with the standards shortens site development time and makes pages easier to maintain. Debugging and troubleshooting become easier, because the code follows a standard. No longer do you have to worry about the coding and maintenance for several versions of code that are supposed to accomplish the same presentation. One version* of your site, and that is it.

*note: Some years back, you may recall, that Netscape and Microsoft had an epic battle that left developers having to design for one or the other. Now it is Firefox vs Microsoft, with a few others thrown in on the site of Firefox, and the plethora of hand-held internet capable devices.

Recent Project: Larson Financial Complaints.