RE: abs vs. rel font sizes

>yes, i remember that, too, but i'm still confused. i thought the beauty of
>using style sheets was supposed to be that users could override them with
>their own defaults, anyhow. so, even if i specify, say, a 14px font,
>couldn't someone with a visual deficit just set their browser to override
>stylesheets? would that mean they lose everything, though, like color and
>margins? is that why it's best to use relative font sizes?

The "beauty of style sheets" is (1) greater capability for the site 
designer to specify page layout, and (2) capability of applying a 
style to many pages, or even the whole site, with code that needs 
only be written in one place, the style sheet.

The issue of who has the final say on how a page is 
displayed--whether it's the viewer or the site designer--is another 
matter. The site designer can specify various attributes, such as 
font choice and size, either using plain old HTML or using CSS. The 
viewer can also set some specifications, by setting her browser's 
preferences. Exactly what can be set, and who has the final say, 
depends on the browser.


I suggest that you carefully examine the preference settings in both 
Internet Explorer and in Netscape, especially those pertaining to 
font choice and size. (Netscape: Edit/Preferences/Appearance/Fonts. 
IE: Edit/Preferences/Browser Display and 
Edit/Preferences/Language/Fonts.) Change the preferences and see what 
happens. Other preferences include background colors and how links 
are displayed.

Another consideration: even though the viewer maintains some control 
of the display by setting preferences, I suspect that the vast 
majority of viewers never change these preferences from their default 
settings.


Jeff

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