http://validator.w3.org/

I think in part the problem is the search for the quick buck, or the big buck for that matter.
A company that can deliver a “working” site with a corporate front will get the contract over a clever, accessability-orientated company if they have some experience or an “Award” under their belt.

Maybe the problem is the same that exists in other industries – workers trying to hold on to the old ways – possibly reluctant or overwhelmed by the new information to adapt.

I’m possibly not the best person to give my opinion, considering that I have learned standards/CSS/PHP etc. just as they were coming into mainstream.

I had the advantage of not having previously ingrained ways to develop and code, which helped to adapt and learn with the new standards.

But hey, when it comes down to it the standards aren’t all that hard and if I can do it well then I’m sure anyone can – especially a commercial company.

So no excuses, and let’s hope that the awards will be different next year.

Regards,
David

I feel your pain. I think the more obscure (and therefore less used) tags seem to be the ones that cause most issues.

You don’t see the use of LEGEND too often these days. I’ve seen a few nice CSS workarounds to get the same effect.

I think that we have to accept small rendering differences across browsers, but the upside is that it isn’t as bad as it was 4 or 5 years ago

Richard

1) Bug fixing – if something is going wrong, making sure the code validates really helps find the issue or eliminate the code side of it from the problem
2) Multiple devices – my site works great on my mobile, my PSP, and my mac with no messing about or browser detection.
3) Speed of development – once you build up a nice bag of tricks, you can really improve your workflow. It’s a lot easier to re-use the menu methods in different sites if you’re using standards and seperating your content from presentation.

What really gets me pulling my hair out though is the little differences between the browsers – all of them. I’m still trying to find the best way to work around them all. I like the idea of having external files, but I find there can be subtle differences between IE6, 7, Opera, Safari & Firefox (e.g. legend tag), which can mean a lot of different external files. And I don’t want to go back to browser checking and alternate stylesheets.

Keep commenting – you have something good to say

Rgds

Richard

I fully agree, but clearly they don’t want to or NEED to. And did we ever even stop to ask do they even KNOW about them?

I am sure you will agree that the web design and development world has changed a lot in the last few years. A LOT. And it is still changing(Look at the proposed new directions/split (X)HTML is going in). I am starting to think that maybe, just maybe feel free to call me naive, SOME of these designers/developers don’t really know about standards and their importance.

I know you are going to quote me on the designers that quote themselves on compliance but I’m talking about the rest.

To be a decent web designer or developer in a REAL company and not little johnny sitting at home in his bedroom, you need to be VERY disciplined and very educated these days. In the past, you could open up frontpage and whip up a website in a few mins. Nowadays it’s different. The “NEW BREED” of designers and developers have not really hit the big time yet. When I say that…. I’m talking about major industry recognition to the point of a GS award. I personally studied web design, development and accessibility in college and not ONE of my classmates would even DARE produce something that’s non compliant or accessibly. Most people chose a final year project in the accessibility field.

I have a feeling that things are going to change. And VERY soon. Either the companies at fault are going to adapt to the upcoming, more educated clients or they will be replaced. It’s a fast paced market. Besides, all the money made from the publicity the GS awarded companies are getting will probably go into re-training their designers and developers anyway.

(Sorry, I started off with a one line response to MoJo but as usual, I got a bout of the verbal).

Until standards can be considered universal with regard to the client technologies that real-world users are using, then people will still use excuses for taking shortcuts.