[Sigia-l] RE: Web Standards and I.A.s

[Listera]

"Thomas Vander Wal" wrote:

> Web Standards should change an IA's job as it allows for adding a semantic
> layer to the mark-up.

It's possible to use CSS and/or table-less design and not separate content
from presentation or add semantic value. Just as it's possible to keep that
demarcation without using CSS, especially with dynamically composed pages.
Validating markup code against a standard is a strategically important (but
in no way the only goal) of design/development. Sometimes (for a variety of
technical, commercial and political reasons) the markup can't be validated.
Markup validation isn't necessarily part of an IA's duties, though
separation of content from presentation often is.

On a very recent project I had to convince the client that a series of
complex webcasting apps could be dramatically simplified and modernized with
a CSS-based design whose presentation can be completely altered in real-time
via running code. This would replace table-laden designs with more than a
dozen frames per player-page.

One of the heavy users of this service was a huge investment bank that had
the corporate browser standard of Netscape 4.7/8. Yes, that's N4x. In 2004.
That's a classical standoff between good design and, frankly, stupidity.
However, the argument was made not on standards but on cost and length of
development and maintenance.

Ziya
Nullius in Verba