applying HTML5 today…

oh, really ?

You won't find the generic HTML5 doctype on top of the markup on this site, and none of the new element types either. I like playing around with HTML5 elements in the latest and most supportive browsers, but not in the public parts/sections of a site at this time.

The fact that HTML5 is still a work in progress doesn't bother me. It has come far enough already, and will by definition continue to evolve as long as such a markup language is needed.

I am not happy with the spread of HTML5-supportive browsers so far though. Browsers are available, but too many end-users do not upgrade and I don't want to “plug” older browsers just to be sure my code works across the board. I may wait till the number of old browsers in need of “extra support and workarounds” has dropped to non-significant levels.

That most new HTML5 elements don't add anything of real value in today's browsers for the average web page, is another factor that makes me delay implementation. Some of the new elements and roles are more exactly named and makes more sense both to me and supporting software, but the gain of using them isn't high compared to proper use of the more generically named elements of preceding HTML standards.

Most old elements are valid HTML5 elements anyway, and so is the way most have been used in accordance with standards over the last decade or so. Browsers have pretty stable algorithms for rendering both correctly implemented and pretty flawed HTML code, so “crossing lines between standards” usually doesn't cause rendering problems for the knowledgeable and observant front-end coder.

the HTML5 bandwagon…

As you must have have figured out by now: I am not on it yet — at least not officially. I will be the day I find good reasons to, and I am not the least worried that “the train will be gone” when I decide to enter the HTML5 bandwagon.

So far the only reasons presented to me is that “all else in the trade have switched to HTML5 already”. In my book that's nice, as then I won't have to help any of them to use/code HTML5 optimally when I switch, and can focus entirely on doing my own things — as I do now anyway.

If the above sounds a bit cocky … well, I won't protest against such an interpretation although I don't feel that way. I don't think I have underestimated HTML5 as a continuation of existing HTML/XHTML versions though, and it is just a simple markup language in natural growth to meet popular demands – integrating elements/functionality that we up until now have needed plug-ins and various workarounds for. Those who code browsers and other software to obey our markup and whatever else we produce and release, have a much tougher job than us web designers — and they are behind.

Once mastering our code we only occasionally have to deal with software bugs, and of course those nasty and unavoidable human bugs will also throw us off for a few minutes now and then. Nothing new there, or at least I haven't found any.

slowly does it.

With the speed I'm holding now, I think I will get there – applying new HTML5 elements where they're needed – just in time. See no point in getting there before…

And for those who just “must have valid html5 markup now”, by all means. I call it cheating but here is the judgment of the W3C HTML validator and the Validator.nu on my markup behind this page and as I have used for years. Only doctype and metas modified to make it pass as HTML5.

sincerely  georg; sign

Weeki Wachee 30.apr.2012
14.may.2012 - minor revision.
28.jul.2012 - added links to HTML5 validators.
last rev: 28.jul.2012


side notes.

progress, eventually.

Without progress we will be standing still, and after a while we will in effect have regress. Can't let that happen, so even the tiny amount of progress carried by HTML5, is most welcome.

the HTML5 bandwagon is rolling…

Appears to be plenty of incentives to jump on the HTML5 bandwagon. Can not confirm quality of the following statements/links, so apply discretion.

HTML5 … a work in progress.

In case someone does not quite understand what it's all about…

The future looks bright from where I stand.


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