Simple HTML
Why use simple HTML?
- Because simple HTML is easy to maintain. Simple HTML won't break if you edit it in another editor. Simple HTML won't break if you try to change it too much. But those things are chicken feed compared to this: you can change your web pages from green to blue, from menus on the left to menus on the right, and often you won't have to do a single thing to your web pages! Don't believe me? Of course you don't. Well, check out Eric Meyer's site or Zen Garden, where you can change all those things right now, live on the web page.
- Because simple HTML is designed for standards, not browser quirks. You've seen websites that look or act broken when you use the "wrong" web browser or the "wrong" version of a web browser. Websites that cater to the peculiarities of a given web browser seem to get worse and worse as new browser versions come out. Websites built with simple HTML look better and better.
- Because websites built with simple HTML will last longer. Would you rather be building a web page using the technology everybody's switching from (complex HTML) or the technology everybody's switching to (simple HTML)?
- Because you can do more spectacular tricks on your website with simple HTML. This is absolutely true. The old way of building web sites can't touch the new way. Simple HTML does not mean stripped-down, dull web pages. Just the opposite.
- Because websites built with simple HTML can be data mines, not data landfills. One of the great promises of the web has yet to be fulfilled. Oh, you can find simple words or phrases, but when you want to get the context or get a whole paragraph or section, there's no way to extract it and use it. With simple HTML there is.
- Because simple HTML is accessible. Your next door neighbor on the left is looking at your web site on his cell phone. Your neighbor on your right is viewing it on his PDA. Your neighbor across the street has vision problems, and has a web browser that reads it to her. All those mountains of layout tags and tables (on websites built by people who haven't caught on to simple HTML yet) are either being ignored by those web browsers, or they're actively getting in the way.
So let's get started.