CSS is not a programming language. Stop it.

I just read this post: http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2010/04/whats-wrong-with-css.html

CSS is not a programming language and most importantly should not be turned into one. This article is showing some of the advantages of third-party wrappers, which I'm also a fan of, but programming language is where it becomes muddy waters.

The two wrappers he mentions, LessCSS and SASS (like Rosemary), are better off as helpers.

Style is about taking an object and giving it attributes, that's it. If you have a naked human being, you add attributes to style them up like any Create-A-Character you've ever used. Add a top, add a bottom, add shoes, add accessories, there you go.. styled. That's it.

When you have the ability to wrap something like CSS, it can often be dangerous. Some people are like, "Well, I like the syntax of programming language X, so let's make it that way." Well, CSS isn't like programming language X for a reason. It's not a programming language.

Why does this bother me? Not because of these wrappers or mine. I think they're fine. Variables and other small things, like including files so you can break out large stylesheets, or dynamic browser checking, that help encourage DRY philosophy is cool with me.


CSS3 is what annoys me.

CSS Marquee Animating anything is the job of Javascript. HTML is structure. CSS is style. Javascript is motion. Don't mix the liquids because then responsibilities are forgotten. Leave animation out of CSS.

CSS Animations This does not belong. It looks cute and all, but it doesn't belong.


People really just need to understand what different languages are, what they're for, and why they're using them.

I don't really write in here

I always think it's a good idea to start a blog. I write in it for like a week or two and I completely lose interest.

I own TheOnlyWebsiteEver.com

My domain now just redirects to a random site about me. Linkedin, facebook, friendfeed, twitter, portfolio, blog, who knows. Visit my site, you never know what you're gonna get.

TheOnlyWebsiteEver.com
MattKenefick.com
TheRoyaltyMustDie.com
RoyaltyDoNotSpeakInContractions.com
Jureuxoris.com

etc

This is a good idea. JS Authentication.

I just had this idea while browsing a site. A lot of blogs don't allow you to post comments unless you're logged in. This is often a result of spammers and dadada.

Either you can make this or I will:

A Javascript anonymous user detection to allow them the option of posting comments. This should be done because there are a lot of sites I read often, but just don't care to sign up for. There are often things I'd comment on, but I still don't want to register.

How would it work?
A Javascript timer could be set for a minimum time of 60-90 seconds on a site. After which time, it sends a signal to the server saying that this session is actually valid proving that someone is on the site scrolling the page and reading. Then it shows, "Oh hey, this is actually a person and not a bot that's viewing this page. Let em post."

That's all.
Bye.

Fractal4D coming back

No promises, but I'm thinking about it. I kind of let it go when I started getting busier at work, but I'm thinking about giving it a serious update. In case you don't know what it is, check this link out: http://mattkenefick.com/blog/2008/11/fractal4d-first-release/

Stay tuned and we'll see how I feel about updating this in my spare time!

Jetpack + Freedom = Failure of internet

Mozilla Jetpack and Opera Freedom are not the "future" of the web. They should be known as the failure.

As of now, there isn't much information on what "Freedom" by Opera actually does..but one can only assume it works similar to their competition, Jetpack, by Mozilla. Jetpack is like the system of interacting with a browser extension from the web document you're viewing. You can adjust data in the status bar through the web interface, etc. This offers a lot of great potential, except for one thing. There are too many browsers! They're all going to tumble over each other trying to say each product is best.. and Mozilla syntax will be different than Opera's, IE, Chrome, Safari, etc.

It was bad enough when we, developers, had to manage the differences of CSS/HTML/JS through existing browsers... but if everyone is just going to make their browser extensible in different ways, that's just an even BIGGER disaster.

What we need is not more functionality... we just need you browser companies to be standards compliant and support the most recent version of things. How about instead of offering lame proprietary code in order to become "top-dog," you just start support HTML5, CSS3, and the latest versions of Javascript? We don't need your lame plugins.

This is why Flash is such a good thing. Are there problems with Flash? Yes. But why is Flash so much greater than standards when the usability is sometimes difficult? Simple, because it's universal! If I put a Flash object in IE6/FF3/Safari/Chrome or even Opera... the Flash engine renders it the way it's supposed to.

If you browser companies keep developing in your own way in different directions, eventually people are going to be pushed further and further into universal options like Flash or a platform that doesn't even NEED you. Standards has been growing with the ease and growing functionality of JS/AJAX/CSS, but this "expansion" is just chopping standards growth off at the knees.

I don't post these...

...usually, but it goes a little something like this:



I don't usually like stuff like this, but I've had arguments hours on end about this. My standing is still this: Fear is nothing more than the uncertainty. That's it.

I'll pick you up...

and it goes like this: