Nate Klaiber

Eric Meyer's Response to Dvorak

There has been so much buzz lately regarding Dvorak’s recent article in PC Mag. So much that I don’t even feel the need to link to the original article. By now, most have probably read it — and read the ever growing number of responses as well. I came across one today that hit the nail on the head. Eric Meyer responded to Dvorak and his claims, er, frustrations, with CSS. Now, the response was a very calm and thought out response, but what really jumped out to me were two comments. Both of these comments are responses from Jeff Croft of www.jeffcroft.com.

Jeff Croft:

Very well said, Eric. There’s no doubt that browser inconsistencies continue to be the biggest roadblock for any web designer or developer, whether they use CSS or otherwise. And, it is a completely reasonable expectation for new folks to expect things to be consistent. As you say, why wouldn’t they?

My girlfriend recently moved in with me, and she’s used a PC all her life (she’s a very casual computer user). She has some desire to switch to a Mac (probably due to Apple’s ability to create a sexy allure about their products), so I KVM’d up my Mac mini that I don’t really use with her PC. I’m constantly reminded of of the fact that change is hard and that some level of consistency is needed to get you through it. Even though the Mac is, by most accounts, the ‘easier’ OS, she still struggles at times simply because she’s so used to Windows. Understanding menus, windows, mousing, etc. isn’t the problem — she knows how to do all that. The problem is the little quirks that make each OS different.

I suspect the same is true of someone getting into CSS-based web development. CSS and HTML aren’t that hard to learn, really — but dealing with the browser quirks is a freaking nightmare, even for experienced designers and even today when the browser landscape is a lot better than it was a few years back.

On the flip side, the day CSS and HTML work perfectly well in all browsers is the day those of us who have made a living off being CSS gurus are out a job. Because, let’s face it, what makes us experts isn’t the fact that we know HTML and CSS — it’s the fact that we know the browsers. :)

A little further down we see a comment from Becki and the very helpful and insightful response from Jeff.

Becki:

ironic that there is a key for including html tags in the comments, don’t you think? My point would be that CSS is nowhere near as easy to understand as html and excludes a lot of people because of this. I think it’s almost elitist to assert that CSS is preferable or better or should be the standard. It’s for more hard core coders. Sure, basic html is for coders too, but CSS is by comparison exponentially more difficult to master.

Jeff Croft:

Becki

You are totally comparing apples to oranges. (X)HTML is a markup language for adding structure and semantics to (mostly) textual content. CSS is a presentation language for defining the visual style or other presentational elements of a document. The two are not mutually exclusive, and totally not comparable. No one ‘chooses’ CSS instead of HTML — the two work together (along with other layers) to create a complete web document.

Frankly, I’m not sure why some people believe that these languages out to be simple enough for anyone to use. Professional web developers have professional tools (like these languages) that take time, commitment, and a ‘knack for it’ to learn. Non-professionals have simpler tools for web publishing that are quite easy to learn — they go by names like MySpace, Blogger, Moveable Type, WordPress, and Dreamweaver.

This is no different from any other industry. Want to take photos? Fine, there are plenty of point-and-shoot cameras that anyone can use with a minimal amount of learning. But, if you want to take photos like professionals do, you’ll need to learn the ins and outs of the art, and also learn the associated tools (SLRs, film processing, Photoshop, etc.). Want to do some handy work around the house? Great, go buy a simple tool set and have at it. But if you want to be a professional carpenter, you’re going to have to learn more complex tools. Want to swim in the ocean? Great, buy a snorkel and mask. But if you want to dive deeper and in more remote places, you’ll have to take the time and effort to get a SCUBA cert. Want to design your church’s newsletter? Great, use Word, or Publisher, or any of countless simple tools anyone can learn. But if you want to be a professional graphic designer, you’re going to have to learn much more complex tools, understand the art, know about printing types, paper types, etc.

I don’t get why anyone thinks the web ought to be different. (X)HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and all of the other languages we write code in aren’t tools for non-web designers/developers, and they never will be. If you want to be a professional (or serious enthusiast) web designer/developer, learn them. If not, grab yourself a Blogger account and have fun.

I’m all for the idea that anyone ought to be able to self-publish on the web — but the idea that anyone ought to be able to create sophisticated web applications with beautiful, functional designs is just unrealistic.

Jeff, I applaud you for your clear and concise explanations and responses.