Comments on: Do You Speak HTML?

By: AlexAxe

AlexAxe — Tue, 05 May 2009 05:38:10 +0000

Not sure that this is true:), but thanks for a post.
AlexAxe

By: M. Douglas Wray

M. Douglas Wray — Sun, 03 May 2009 23:05:34 +0000

Excellent article. I heartily agree. Comments are all spot-on. Communication is an art and takes dedication and patience. I’ve been a big promoter of writing HTML properly and people just don’t seem to think it’s important. WYSIWYG tools haven’t helped this at all.

By: dan

dan — Sun, 03 May 2009 20:45:49 +0000

@chris Yes, of course you are correct (I confess to writing this article very late a night). The fact that html is not even code should make any developer who has not mastered it even more ashamed.

By: dan

dan — Sun, 03 May 2009 20:40:28 +0000

@Jem / @grammarnazi / @Trey Try to focus on the point of the article. Don’t wanna start no beef ’bout my English, y’all.

By: chris

chris — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:20:10 +0000

Nice article, I just have one nit to pick: you referred to HTML as ‘code’ rather than ‘tags’, ‘markup’ or ‘markup tags’. Markup-tags are parsed and processed, code executes.

By: Trey

Trey — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:09:09 +0000

You may consider yourself a pretty good in your chosen programming language but if you are sloppy in such a simple language like html, it could be the deal clincher in a job interview.

It would certainly change my impressions of a potential candidate if they don’t have a decent grip on something that they should be able to do in their sleep.

By: grammarnazi

grammarnazi — Sun, 03 May 2009 13:50:28 +0000

Dear self-professed language expert: kindly learn the proper punctuation of “its” possessive, and “it’s” as a conjunction of “it is”.

By: Jem

Jem — Sun, 03 May 2009 12:48:33 +0000

I know that’s not what the article is about, but my point remains the same. It doesn’t matter whether or not you’re criticising someone’s English, or their HTML, if you’re not spot on (you have mistakes in your HTML too) you risk being called out about it.

I’m not deliberately being an asshole in case that’s how I’m coming across (it wouldn’t be the first time), and I’m a huge advocate for what you’re saying (I think my HTML reflects that) but you are opening yourself up to responses like mine.

By: dan

dan — Sun, 03 May 2009 11:33:30 +0000

Thank you for pointing out the grammar mistakes – I was half expecting people to go through the article and point all those out.
I was not saying I criticise anyone for their use of the English language, I was just saying that I just notice (what I would consider are) mistakes. Besides, that not really what the article was meant to be about.

By: Jem

Jem — Sun, 03 May 2009 11:15:05 +0000

If you’re going to criticise others for their use of the English language, perfect your own first.

“loosing” should be losing, “than those that don’t” should be “than those who don’t” and so on.

Just food for thought – nobody’s perfect.