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What is web standards?

Not a lot of us have heard of web standards. To be honest, I myself can’t even fully grasp its meaning. But simply put, it’s a standard way for web designers (or anyone) to build websites. It’s just like how there is a common unspoken standard of how a magazine should be published - the font type, the way the model should be put at the cover page. Web standards when done properly, a website can be applied across most browsers (FireFox, IE, Netscape, Opera, to name a few).

I am not a web designer nor someone who is keeping myself abreast with all the latest web development. When Nick asked the company who is interested to attend the Singapore Web Standards Group meetup, I felt that this will be a good chance for me to learn more about web designing and so I decided to attend.

Stepping into RGS’s AVA room was definintely frightening. All eyes were on you. And you immediately realised that this meetup is an exclusive one. I think it is due to the nature of the meetup, geeks attract geeks. =) I seriously felt a bit intimidated, mainly because I know I don’t know much about web standards.

But luckily the talk by Lucian was an easy one. Not so much on codings, more of explaining why we should advocate web standards, and apply it onto our websites.

Separate “Content”, “Presentation” and “Behaviour” will do your work faster and more efficiently!

For a starter, CSS Zen Garden is a good site to go to. And I am recommending this to anyone who has interest in web designing. I am playing around with it too! Although I can hardly get myself to sit down and finalise on a design I would like to do. *grin*

Other useful sites:

• Web Standards Project
• W3C
• WebSG - for Singapore interest group

I am definitely looking forward to have more similar meet ups to widen my knowledge. On my side, I will be sure to learn more so that I won’t feel stupid.