From rssfeeds@jmason.org Fri Oct 4 11:01:52 2002 Return-Path: Delivered-To: yyyy@localhost.example.com Received: from localhost (jalapeno [127.0.0.1]) by jmason.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1773516F1A for ; Fri, 4 Oct 2002 11:01:25 +0100 (IST) Received: from jalapeno [127.0.0.1] by localhost with IMAP (fetchmail-5.9.0) for jm@localhost (single-drop); Fri, 04 Oct 2002 11:01:25 +0100 (IST) Received: from dogma.slashnull.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by dogma.slashnull.org (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id g94805K08772 for ; Fri, 4 Oct 2002 09:00:05 +0100 Message-Id: <200210040800.g94805K08772@dogma.slashnull.org> To: yyyy@example.com From: diveintomark Subject: CSS and mobile devices Date: Fri, 04 Oct 2002 08:00:05 -0000 Content-Type: text/plain; encoding=utf-8 X-Spam-Status: No, hits=-804.0 required=5.0 tests=AWL,T_NONSENSE_FROM_40_50 version=2.50-cvs X-Spam-Level: URL: http://diveintomark.org/archives/2002/10/03.html#css_and_mobile_devices Date: 2002-10-03T14:52:57-05:00 So, d'ya remember that whole CSS debate that flared up about six months ago? (Actually, it flares up continuously in various circles. In fact, I think it's about time for it to flare up again in weblogging circles. These things are inexorably cyclical. CSS-vs-tables is the hemorrhoid of the web design world. But I digress.) If you were around back then, you will no doubt recall that I was in the pro-CSS camp[1]. So anyway, d'ya remember that argument that went something like “you should design with web standards and CSS because it will future-proof your site for the pie-in-the-sky future when people surf the web on mobile devices”? Well, it's crap[2]. There are lots of good arguments for designing with web standards and CSS: automatically print-friendly pages[3], dynamic style switchers[4], reduced bandwidth[5], and aiding and abetting accessibility[6] (a topic which I claim to know a lot about[7]), among others. But “because it'll future-proof your site for the next generation of mobile devices” is not one of them. The theory is solid, but apparently nobody told the makers of the mobile devices (now that we have them) how it was all supposed to work in practice. Oops. [1] http://diveintomark.org/archives/rooms/css/ [2] http://www.dashes.com/anil/index.php?archives/003378.php [3] http://diveintomark.org/archives/2002/02/01.html#print_me [4] http://diveintomark.org/archives/2002/02/13.html#css_fun_and_games [5] http://diveintomark.org/archives/2002/02/14.html#moral_arguments_aside [6] http://diveintomark.org/archives/2002/02/15.html#css_and_universal_design [7] http://diveintoaccessibility.org/