Post

How not to teach HTML

A friend of mine recently approached me needing some help on a simple HTML assignment. Granted this wasn’t for an actual HTML course, but I still found it odd that something so…ugly...would still be taught as a viable web design method.

Here’s a lovely little sample:

<table border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0>
<td height=432></td>
<td width=340 height=432 valign=top align=left>
<p align=left><font face="Trebuchet MS" color=#000000 size=2><br></font><font face="Georgia" size=6><I>Home Page Title</I></font><font face="Trebuchet MS" size=2><br><br><br><br><br>Your home page gives your readers their first impressions of your site's purpose, content, and layout. This is a good place for text that orients readers to your organization and shows them how to navigate around your site.<br><br><br></font><font face="Arial" size=1><B>TO CONTACT US:</B></font><font face="Trebuchet MS" size=2><br><br></p><p align=center><center></font><font face="Arial" size=1><B>ORGANIZATION ADDRESS<br>YOUR ADDRESS LINE 2<br>YOUR ADDRESS LINE 3<br>YOUR ADDRESS LINE 4<br></B></font>
</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td height=3></td>
<td colspan=2></td>
</tr>
</table>

Just imagine how much easier it would be to teach XHTML and CSS compared to this mess.

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At
11:25:00 PM
On
November 29
In
By
Tom Fadial

Comments

  1. Most of the courses that have HTML involved are teaching similar stuff, tablebased design and frames and such, and only use CSS for styling links, not even to change headerfonts.. I refuse to read that particular course ;D

    Markus Lassinniemi

    Dec 1, 04:53 AM #

  2. I’ve been trying to get the guys at my office to kick the tables habit for a long time. When I think about it, it would be so much easier to tell them to forget what they know and pay attention to a down-and-dirty XHTML/CSS class. Bruce Lee once said, “In order to learn something new you must empty your glass.”

    Josh

    Dec 1, 05:50 AM #

  3. What’s even more annoying is that it was under the “Best Practices” section of the homework list!

    Thame

    Dec 1, 06:28 PM #

  4. I just finished up my BS in IT and my intro to wed design class was the very same. Tables, tables, tables, old HTML. The last two classes introduced CSS and I remeber everyone saying how much they liked it compared to tables layouts. When asked why we didn’t start there – considering the intsructor claimed that was the “new” way of designing – he just stared at us with that “I’m only a first year instructor I only do what I am told” look.

    Aaron

    Dec 5, 10:17 AM #

  5. I don’t understand it either Aaron. Frankly, I think XHTML/CSS is easier to learn and understand because it makes more sense than tables and “old” HTML.

    Thame

    Dec 5, 12:32 PM #

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