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Why do "good" web designers continue to rely on client-side scripting when it is a security vulnerab

3
2006-07-29 11:25:59, Category: Programming & Design
And why do "good" designers continue to use absolute font sizing, prevening users from resizing the font in their browsers? I disable javascript in my browser and override sites' stylesheets and it's amazing how much "good" design goes to pot in that environment. Are people just too lazy to learn server-side scripting and relative font sizing? SirStupid, trouble is, even though you don't want a lowly end user like me (who exactly was the web created for anyway?) to "screw" with your font size, I merely want to be able to read the content. Many designers are more concerned with form than function, never mind "accessibility" (a topic covered in web design 101). I'm more concerned with how easily, quickly and safely I can use a given site than with some self-centered designer's precious aesthetics.

Answers

  1. Alex

    On 2006-07-29 11:41:46


    Yes, laziness is a large part of the answer. I used to be a programmer and web designer (to some extent), and most of the ones I knew dragged their feet until an idea became "the next big thing"... then they'd learn it. Programmers in general scare me. Most write very poor code and refuse to comment their code. When I was taking Computer Science (CS) courses at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, I realized that most of the CS students didn't know how to program and had learned to do their programming homework by simply looking up the problem on the web and copy/pasting the solution, then tinkering with it until it would compile and run. Very few, if any, even understood the concept of Object Oriented Programming (OOP), even in graduate level courses. So part of the problem is that either people are self-taught (with no guidance) and learn what's easiest to learn, or they're taught theory and have little or no guidance/motivation to learn how to apply it. (Please note that this does not apply to *all* programmers. I've known a few good ones, including some of my best friends.) The other reason why web designers rely on client-side scripting and absolute font sizing probably has a lot to do with its effectiveness across numerous browsers and older browser versions. (I don't always agree with this key argument, as you can probably tell.) Web pages have to look good and function properly on as many browsers as possible. Therefore, web designers will choose the method that works best across multiple platforms.

  2. wolf_whitefeather

    On 2006-07-29 11:39:12


    like a lot of other things site design follows trends. sure we went from HTML to DHTML and we all thought that was the best, until we saw CSS. Then came asp and we all moved there. then is was php and a few went to XML. PHP is slowly taking over that's to all the open source scripting and messages board sites. got to love simple machines for an easy to launch complete site. AS to your question many people still design for the most common browser IE. maybe if firefox takes the lead java and CSS will fall by the wayside. another CSS killer is monitors with high screen res. default to 800X600 is just way to small these days and as better monitors make there way into the market. CSS will die...

  3. SirStupid

    On 2006-07-29 12:30:59


    Why do "good"? web designers use templates. (paint by numbers) Personally when I build a web site, I build the web site. And I don't want anybody screwing around with font size. 800 to be viewed at 800, when viewed on larger screen, still 800 but with background extending into borders (centered) Just looks better and easier to look at. (size makes a difference)