Re: CSS changes

[Andrew Sobala <aes gnome org>]

On Wed, 2003-08-13 at 08:03, James Henstridge wrote:
> On 13/08/2003 1:48 PM, Curtis C. Hovey wrote:
> > I think we are using too much generic markup (div, p) to create the
> >
> >document structure.  Your example is not necessarily representative of
> >GNOME Web content, but we should be using headings in banners, sidebars,
> >and content to distinguish the major sections of the document.  Granted
> >your example is a CSS proof, but it, like the developer homepage, is
> >inert, there are no headings, or meta content that reinforce the
> >important content of the page.
> >  
> >
> The example I gave was for the header/sidebar that surrounds the content 
> of a page.  I am not sure what elements you think should be used for 
> this, given that it is not part of the main content.
> 
> I don't think it is appropriate to use a heading tag in the header or 
> sidebar, since they are not part of the structure of the document.  If 
> you take just the heading elements from an HTML document and discard the 
> rest, you should be left with an outline.
> 
> The header/sidebar add about as much to the structure of the document as 
> a letterhead on a paper letter from a company -- it tells you a bit 
> about where the letter was from, but nothing about the content of the 
> individual document.

I might be a bit off-base here, but yesterday I tried looking at what
the GNOME website looks like without stylesheets to emulate browsers
that don't support them. They do still exist.

(The reason for this was the bobby accessibility checker recommended
looking at the pages this way.)

Some form of heading in the sidebar would make the page much more
readable. Without CSS, the page turns into a linear page of writing with
"Users" and "Developers" lists at the bottom of the page. When looking
at it this way, it looks like they should have some sort of heading
because they are new subsections of the document.

-- 
Andrew Sobala <aes gnome org>

The lighting designer is expected to be a master of art, science,
history, psychology, communications, politics and sometimes even
mind reading. -- Stage Lighting Design 101