[Python-Dev] Playing with a new theme for the docs, iteration 2

[R. David Murray]

On Mon, 26 Mar 2012 08:44:40 -0400, Scott Dial <scott+python-dev at scottdial.com> wrote:
> Why even bother formatting the page?

The web started out as *content markup*.  Functional declarations, not
style declarations.  I wish it had stayed that way, but it was inevitable
that it would not.

> The authorship and editorship have authority to dictate the presentation
> of the content. A large part of the effectiveness of a document and it's
> ease of consumption is determined by how it appears in whatever medium
> it's delivered on. While this particular medium invites the readership

This argument can get as bad as editor religious wars.  I like sites
that do more content markup and less styling.  You like the reverse.

There is a good reason to separate css (style) from markup.  I just
wish browsers gave easier control over the css, and that more designers
would stay concious of how a page *reads* (ie: access to the content)
without the css (and javascript).

I think Georg's design does pretty well in that last regard.  (Except for
those darn paragraph characters after the headers, but that flaw was
in the old design too.  Oh, and it would be even better, IMO, if the
top navigation block wasn't there when there's no CSS, but that's more
of an issue for easier access from screen readers, since the block is
reasonably short).

--David