Before I leave - I must mention that four of our Blogs About blogs, designed by E.Webscapes, have been nominated for the 2004 Best Blog Design Weblog Award, including yours truly!
Those sites are:
Just A Girl (me!)
Note It Posts
My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
The Left Right Debate
Voting opens later this week - - so go on over and vote for one of these four! And congratulations to Dana (noteitposts.com), Beth (bamapachyderm.com) and the Guys and Gals over at the leftrightdebate.com! Good luck to them - - and to all of the nominees for all of the categories!
Hmm..Right Voices was also nominated in the “Best Group Blog” and “Best Conservative Blog” categories - - I think that man of mine had something to do with that. 
Ok - vacation time!
8:46 am on December 1st, 2004
I like the work that E. Webscapes does, but one thing about it troubles me: it doesn’t validate. While sometimes that’s just a technical issue, a lot of their sites fail to validate rather seriously, and actually break in several browsers, thus interfering with the very result they are trying to achieve. It’s too bad, too, because I like all four of the sites identified.
9:16 am on December 1st, 2004
Thanks for the feedback, ‘JustAGuy’
Valid code can be easily broken at the end user level, depending on how they format their own posts… i.e. if they use target=”_blank, or if they don’t properly close their tags in their posts, etc, etc.
I can deliver a validated code/css - but that doesn’t mean that 5 minutes in the hands of someone who doesn’t understand XHTML - that the page is going to remain valid.
I have no control over what the user does with their template once I’ve handed it over.
It also depends on what they want in their template. Various scripts, plugins, hacks, addons will invalidate the code. Some people care, some don’t.
You’re right, most of the sites don’t validate. Actually - in surfing through many of the web/blog design services out there, recently - I’ve found that the majority of their own sites, as well as the sites they design, don’t validate either.
It was recently brought to my attention and I started by validating this site just recently and plan to integrate XHTML and CSS validation across the board in my designs.
But again, what folks do with my work after I’ve handed it over to them…. well, that’s just out of my control.
Thanks for stopping by!
9:28 am on December 1st, 2004
Gee, I wonder how that shitbag who ragged on your design skillz feels now…
9:44 am on December 1st, 2004
Congrats! It doesn’t surprise that you’d win an award.
10:01 am on December 1st, 2004
Congratulations to one who so deserves it…Good luck my friend. I am one who would not know how to do anything with it when you give it to me.:cry:
4:54 pm on December 1st, 2004
You’ll have my vote!
1:21 am on December 2nd, 2004
Lisa, I’m so glad you said something to him because I was getting ready to. Is this the same one you emailed me about?
And congrats. I hadn’t even heard about this Weblog Award thingie. I do see someone up there I won’t vote for though
3:05 pm on December 2nd, 2004
Okay — I’ll bite on this one. (And you know I was going to have a question, huh? :twisted
How does one format a link so that it doesn’t open in the same page withOUT using target=”_blank”?
I would LIKE to validate properly, but I DO admit to using that tag all the time. It’s a vanity thing, but I’ve always thought it was good form. How can I fix that?
Thanks.
3:35 pm on December 2nd, 2004
Margi - it’s rel=”external” instead of target=”_blank”
You’ll need to put the correct javascript in between the head tags of your document in order for rel=”external” to work for links to open in a new window.
I searched out an article for you on it - that includes the correct scripting:
Opening links in a new window - the valid way.
If you need help with validation - I’d be happy to help, but when I return please
4:00 pm on December 2nd, 2004
Heh. I asked NOW so you couldn’t jump in and fix everything. Mwheh!!
Thank you, Lisa. You are a wonderful friend. xoxo
4:02 pm on December 2nd, 2004
Me? Jump in and fix stuff?
Bitch, please.
7:04 pm on December 2nd, 2004
*snorf*
9:40 pm on December 2nd, 2004
The problem with invalid html is that html itself is a patchwork of ancient/old/newer/fresh standards for presenting… (wait for it)… text and pictures in an eye-pleasing format. OK, and also user-interactive forms and things.
What I’m getting at is that the standard-makers and browser-makers have never been on the same page, with an all-powerful OS seller that can seem to make up their own standards when they feel like it, adding to the confusion.
5:24 pm on December 5th, 2004
2004 Weblog Awards
I’m not letting on my votes in most of the categories, because I’ve agonized over some of them.
That being said, I want to let you know some of the voting I’ve done…
3:32 pm on December 6th, 2004
I voted for ya, Lisa
10:06 pm on December 6th, 2004
Lisa,
While it’s not a design site, my Crossroads Arabia blog is nominated for best of the “Middle East & Africa” blogs. I’m sure part of it is due to the great design!
John
12:27 am on December 7th, 2004
John, I’ll be sure to go over and give ya a vote