Why You Shouldn't Be Using XHTML

Interesting.

Originally Posted by rochow Nice plug Not 1 thing you said is correct. More reliable? False. Stricter? False. Better written? False. XHTML is more reliable? Oh really, so my HTML is just going to one day just magically stop working while XHTML continues to keep working? Hardly. Stricter syntax? No, different, not stricter. Badly written markup? So if it's XHTML it's written well, and if it's HTML its therefore written bad? Please. But hey, someones gotta live in fairyland.

Not one thing you said is correct lol.

HTML will stop working eventually

The syntax is stricter you do it wrong it doesn't work everywhere

And HTML can be wrote quite horribly, yours might not be but many are like really, not closing your tags where you should, thats a big no no

I will die eventually. Should I just give up now then? XHTML is no more future proof then HTML is.

The syntax is not any stricter. XHTML is just HTML 4.01 + XML. The reason closing tags are optional is to save space. If I removed my closing tags, it wouldn't make a difference because it's structured correctly. If someone had structured it incorrectly, it's going to be screwed whether they close the tags or not... so it doesn't make a difference.

XHTML has the big disadvantage that the most popular browsers in use can't read it, so they translate it into HTML, thus getting rid of any so-called advantages. So using XHTML gives you exactly zero advantages, unless you are using TRUE XHTML (not just delivered as HTML) and developing websites for jack-all of the population, in which case you should rethink why you are even in business if you're kissing a majority of potential customers goodbye.

Considering XHTML at this point in time is unusable from a commercial perspective, why people would think its better (given it has to be served as text/html anyway in order to be viewable by everyone) is beyond me.

I think everybody needs to stop arguing over a few little tags and just use whatever they feel most comfortable with and adjust to new standards when they come out.

The above poster is my hero, took the words right out of my mouth. Use your time to do something constructive people, jezus.

Very good article. I was already aware though of what XHTML was supposed to be used for. Whenever I learn a programming language, I tend to go further and figure out what that programming language was developed specifically to do over others, and why I should/shouldn't be using it. Originally, I learned how to use it, but didn't at first and stuck with HTML 4.01 Strict.. Then as XHTML picked up speed amongst developers, clients started requesting it..

One of things I have learned over the years, I don't try to convince too many of my clients that what they are requesting is wrong anymore. So, I just shut my mouth and do what makes them happiest. Lol

But yes, You are 100% correct on your article. Well done.