Re: Recommendations = Resources

I'm 110% with Fuzzy on this one.  I use DreamWeaver, but would never dreamed
of starting what I now do without knowing how to hand code. I cannot even
count the times that a wysiwyg editor has messed something up that I was
able to correct in seconds manually (handcoding).  Anyone that does a site
with any degree of complexity whatsoever MUST know handcoding.  WYSIWYG
editors simply do not *think*, they only do exactly what they're told.
Handcoding when necessary can save you tons of headaches.  And, as Fuzzy
says, the comment you make about the client only caring how the page
renders - take to heart what Fuzzy says on this one - Every machine is
different in some way.  If you want to allow for the largest percent of the
available audience, assuming that just because it displays OK on your
machine it does so on all of them, is not going to be sufficient.  In cases
where the site is used to present or sell products or services with customer
interaction, this is even more true.  And as far as "nice code" not making a
difference to the average customer, you could not be more wrong.  "Nice
code" ensures that the customer never even things about the coding of the
page because they never encounter any type of error in the page presentation
or interactive capability.

My $.02 worth,
Keith D Sellars
WebGraffix
www.webgraffix.com

"Making database sites seem easy"
----- Original Message -----
From: "Captain F.M. O'Lary" <ctfuzzy(at)canopy.net>
To: <hwg-basics(at)hwg.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2002 5:44 PM
Subject: Re: Recommendations = Resources


> At 03:52 PM 3/10/02 , Don Haller wrote:
> >I had this same conversation with one of my friends/clients.  She is a
> >paying customer of mine and she could care less about how nice the code
is
> >to me, or you or to any other web-rat.  All she cares about is how the
page
> >renders and how her customers can interact with the ideas and materials
> >presented.
>
>
> That is the point exactly Dan. The customer doesn't realize they are
> chasing off (or worse) customers. They think that because it displays just
> fine on their machine, everyone sees it the same way.
>
> It is up to the web developer to make certain the client understands that
> unless that geeky code that all those web rats do is done _correctly_ the
> chances are actually pretty slim that MOST people will see/here/feel/BUY
> what they intend. Unless they are targeting ONLY very high end
demographics.
>
> >
> >Nice code makes for a site that is easier to maintain and it makes HTML
> >hackers happy, but it doesn't do anything for most average customers.
> >
>
> I could not possibly disagree with you more Don. Sorry.
>
>
> >I have seem gobs of Powerpoint presentations turned HTML that managers in
my
> >company just google over.  Makes me sick.  But bottom line, most people
> >havn't a clue what goes into it.
>
> "Googling" is good. Functional sells widgets, my friend.
>
> I would go so far as to say that ~nothing~ that can be done with web
> presentation languages can not be done in some manner *other than* the
> "whiz bang" editors in a much more stable - client independent - way. If
> "your" clients objective is to present their products to the widest
> possible audience with the highest level of client independent
interaction,
> you MUST hand code. Oh, you must know a heck of a lot more than just HTML
too.
>
> While I have to admit to a certain bias against what *I* call broken pages
> (defined as any page created solely in a WYSIWYG editor, generally), I
will
> admit that realistically there most certainly IS a place for these pages -
> personal web sites.
>
> Public information and commercial/promotional content needs to be done
> ~~~correctly~~~ and that can not be done without a pretty through working
> knowledge of HTML (at the minimum).
>
> FWIW,
> Fuzzy.
> ______________________________________________________________
> Captain F.M. O'Lary
> ctfuzzy(at)canopy.net
> <Building Alligator Proof Kayak>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>

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