Vlad Alexander (XStandard) wrote:
Lachlan Hunt wrote:
Lori Cole wrote:
I am new to (trying to learn how) constructing standards
conforming web pages using XHTML and would like to know what HTML
editor you folks that are light years ahead of me would
recommend?
Since you're new, you might want to stick with HTML4
Lachlan, here is a classic example of a person new to Web Standards
asking for a recommendation about which editor to use and instead you
embroil this person in a debate over MIME types.
My original advice to Lori did not include anything about MIME types or
any other technical issues, I merely advised him/her that XHTML was not
widely supported that there's a lot to learn about XHTML before one can
use it; both points are true and I would expect anyone to give such
advice to a beginner, before they go off and learn XHTML wrongly. I
only brought up all the technical issues in order to defend my position,
and if I wasn't able to defend my position, I would have lost credibility.
Do you think this is a healthy environment for newcomers to learn about
Web Standards?
Yes. Why should we attempt to hide the truth from them, especially when
they're just starting out and they need to lose/avoid any bad habits and
mistakes as quickly as possible.
Since you brought up MIME types and Hickson's article, let me say
that you will get a lot more credibility for your argument if you
stop referring to an article that is based on flawed assumptions.
The assumptions are not completely flawed, and while the conclusion that
authors blame XHTML may not be true in all cases, substitute "XHTML"
with "browsers" or anything else commonly blamed by incompetent authors
other than themselves, and the rest of the assumptions still hold true.
But those assumptions you quoted from the article are irrelevant to
the accuracy of the technical arguments within it. It is the technical
arguments you need to dispute, not some introductory prose.
--
Lachlan Hunt
http://lachy.id.au/
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