Re: Strict DTD (a dream?)

At 11:52 AM 1/6/01 +0100, Gregor Pirnaver wrote:
>I would really love to see some examples of sites using 
>Strict DTD.

Which "Strict" DTD?

I have been in the web development business for several years and sell ONLY
ratified code, trust me, I can show you a few thousand valid pages. I do
not EVER sell a "loose" or transitional DTD. Well, to be 100% honest I do,
but the client must sign a waiver before I'll post the page. Very, very,
very few are willing to do that.


>Some things are difficult to do even with Transitional DTD 
>(textarea wrapping, page margins, DHTML...).

Don't concentrate on page layout, concentrate on content delivery. Please
notice the ML in HTML. It stands for "Markup Language" as opposed to "Page
Layout" language.

I offer PDF downloads for those who "must" have pixel level control of the
presentation. Or, those who "demand" page breaks in certain places to
facilitate printing.


>
>How can anyone actually desing a site with Strict DTD (that 
>is what parts of CSS1 and CSS2 are safe to use)? I feel bad 
>enough for using PNGs (unsupported in ver. 3 browsers) 
>instead of GIFs.

None of CSS1 and CSS2 are "safe" to use if you are writing for the majority
of users on the web. I would not even consider using PNG's. Support for
them is just about on par with CSS - it is horrible.

>
>Furthermore how would you "sell" such a site to a client?

It is easy. You give them a 100% full money back guarantee that their pages
will be viewed as designed _ and _ will not EVER crash a viewers browser or
OS. Then you tell them to find someone else offering that guarantee on
their work.

In the years I have been using this policy I have had _exactly_ two request
for refunds. A quick click on the link to the valadator included on the
bottom of every page I sell proved to the clients full satisfaction that
the "problem" was not with their web pages.

BTW, a few of my clients now incorporate that guarantee into *their*
marketing. Along the line of . . . "if a mistake in our web pages crash
your browser, the thing you came here to buy will be sent to you for free"
kind of things. ___ All ___ report increased site traffic and sales after
that inclusion.

I have always wondered how someone can sell a site that is NOT made using
valid HTML, but I'm glad they do. My shop specializes in fixing pages other
"web developers" have created - it comprises upward of 90% of my business
volume. Most of the other 10% is adding new pages for old customers. I
virtually never loose a client once I have them.

>
>
>Free and open standards are great! But what are they worth 
>if nobody is using them? Please enlighten me.

It is not that nobody uses them. It is just that only the elite developers
do and there are darned few of those - that is why I don't advertise AT ALL
and in the last oh, say six years, have NEVER been completely caught up. As
a matter of fact, the waiting list for my work runs about three months on
average and has for the last four years. That list doesn't seem to ever get
any shorter, and my people make SURE the customer knows it'll be _months_
before their pages are posted - before they ever contract for my services.

Oh, did I mention that I charge more than the "developer" that made the
page in the first place? I do. I'm easy, but DEFINITELY not cheap. It is my
opinion that stupidity should not be inexpensive. From a business
perspective, not doing the necessary research before hiring a web developer
is indeed - really stupid.

I guess I must be doing something right, because it sure as hell is not my
magnetic personality that draws them in the door and makes them willing to
wait _ months _ for their work to be done!


HTH,
Fuzzy.
______________________________________________________________
Captain F.M. O'Lary
webmaster(at)canopy.net
Another year ends.
All targets met. All systems working. All customers satisfied.
All staff eagerly enthusiastic. All pigs fed and ready to fly.
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