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| World Wide Web Standards |
There is a set of web standards, or best practices, for the design and development of web pages......and professional business websites should adhere to these.
The term “Web standards” has been used generally in reference to the formal standards and technical specifications that describe and define various aspects of the World Wide Web. (It is worth noting at this stage, that the World Wide Web, WWW, or W3, - also known as the web, is a system of interlinked hypertext documents. This is not to be confused with the Internet which is used to refer to the global system of interconnected computer networks. So basically the two are not the same and the web is accessed via the Internet). More recently, the term web standards is frequently used to describe a set of standardised “best” practices for the construction of websites, and the associated philosophy of website design and development that accompanies these methods. in a broad senseThere are many interrelated and dependent specifications, or standards which manage aspects of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Some of which have a more direct affect on the development and administration of web services and websites, including interoperability (the ability of systems to work together i.e. inter-operate), usability, and accessibility of websites and web pages. In the broader sense these web standards come from, and consist of, the following:
Common UsageThe statement that a web page or website complies with web standards, usually means that it has Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), JavaScript, and suggested design methodologies, that are in keeping with the guidelines and recommendations that have been put forward by various standards consortiums. (This should mean that the HTML meets the accessibility and semantic guidelines as well - although this is not often the case). The term "Standard-Compliant" is also used to suggest that proprietary, non-standard methods are not used in the website development, (or, when it is used to describe browsers, that their features ensure interoperability). Typically this means that the web pages or website should comply with the following web standards;
These consortia and associated groups work to encourage the use of these standards globally by software and hardware manufacturers, content providers, academic institutions, telecommunications companies and other companies/organizations involved in creating applications for the Web. Their recent efforts have been to promote the use of and adherence to the CSS 2.0 web standard by browsers, including how browsers respond to invalid markup and styles. Implementation of standardsThe implementation of standards over the years by software vendors (i.e. Internet Browser companies) has been patchy at best, particularly by some browser software companies. To a large extent this has slowed down the adoption of the standards by website designers and developers. There is more about this in the article "Browser Standards Adherence".
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