The cult of the complex

Jeffrey Zeldman is the Godfather of modern web standards. His latest A List Apart article, “The Cult of the Complex,” is simply a masterpiece!

As our jerrybuilt contraptions, lashed together with fifteen layers of code we don’t understand and didn’t write ourselves, start to buckle and hiss, we blame HTML and CSS for the faults of developers. This fault-finding gives rise to ever more complex cults of specialized CSS, with internecine sniping between cults serving as part of their charm. New sects spring up, declaring CSS is broken, only to splinter as members disagree about precisely which way it’s broken, or which external technology not intended to control layout should be used to “fix” CSS. (Hint: They mostly choose JavaScript.)

Folks, CSS is not broken, and it’s not too hard. (You know what’s hard? Chasing the ever-receding taillights of the next shiny thing.)

👏👏👏

Go read the whole thing right now. Seriously!