First post, been lurking a few days.
This topic is one that I'm constantly aware of. I set my Windows color
scheme to light text on a dark background, as it's easier on my eyes,
and my browsers are set to use windows default colors if none are set.
I can't begin to count the number of emails that I've sent to
webmasters/designers, some very professional, others even considered
Gurus, that specify certain colors and leave others up to chance by
relying on the defaults.
I recieve all kinds of replies, if they reply, from simple thanks, to
needing proof by way of screenshots, and several times outright denial
that the problem is with the website (ie. "you must be going through
some type of proxy").
Usualy the root cause is from the body... background or color set but
not the other. Too many designers rely on the defaults that might not
always be present.
So, I'm glad to see the emphasis in warnings and "tips of the day" in
the validator, and just wanted to add to Jan Brasna's comment:
"Check - consider possible conflicts - and forget."
Mark Sheppard
Gunlaug Sørtun wrote:
Jan Brasna wrote:
* {background-color : inherit} ....?
Do you think this is really necessary? I mean - just for getting rid
of the warnings?
No! Definitely not!
I know what warnings are: 'hints to look out for possible
trouble-spots'. Check - and forget.
But maybe some of those who see validator-warnings as a /problem/ think
it is necessary to "kill" all warnings ? :-)
If the validator accepts such a universal background, and stops showing
those hints/warnings, then at least we know that the validator is
working on that point.
If not, then the validator is so broken in its logic that it isn't worth
bothering with whatever it warns us about.
Personally, I'm not too impressed with its error messages either, but I
do find both errors and warnings useful as hints so I know a bit more
about what to look for when I can't easily find my own coding-errors any
other way. After all: I do make mistakes - now and than :-)
Basically, I don't trust any automated code-checker more than I trust
the rendering-engines in /any/ browser presently released - close to
zero. However, realistically speaking, they are _all_ useful as
design-tools since it *is* the same tool-set regular users are left
with. Would be nice if those tools worked...
regards
Georg
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