Posting Guidelines
From CSS Discuss
Css-discuss is primarily intended to be a place for authors to discuss real-world uses of CSS. This doesn't preclude discussions of theory, or nifty cutting-edge tricks that show off the power of CSS, or even talking about (X)HTML, DOM, and so forth. However, it's greatly appreciated if such discussions have some practical payoff, even if it's just teaching other list members a little bit more about how CSS works. Css-discuss covers all stages, from beginner to advanced.
So these guidelines are exactly that - just guidelines. Their purpose is to make you stop and think about whether you really need to send that post you were just about to - CSS-discuss can be a very high traffic list at times. This is not a hard-and-fast censor's charter but rather advice that posting on these subjects can make you look like a rude and inconsiderate or incompetent idiot, even if people are too polite to point this out.
If, after reading the points below, you feel you still have an interesting point to make or question to ask on these topics, then by all means go ahead.
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Validate your code
Before asking for help, try to ensure that both your markup and your CSS are valid: see Code Validation.
Provide a URL
When asking a question, it usually helps if you can provide a URL to the problem page and a URL directly to the relevant CSS. Alternatively, provide a URL to a minimal test case.
Posting Links
When you post links, keep in mind that most email clients will break your text into lines of about 42 characters long. Many URLs are much longer and will break into two lines, rendering them unclickable. If you are posting a long URL, please use a url-shortening service such as http://url123.com to shorten your links before you post, but provide the full URL if it could be at all useful for archive purposes. Enclose URLs in angle brackets <http: //...etc> to aid mail clients in detecting them.
Configuring Clients
Email clients can be configured to assist a little in following the guidelines, especially the one concerning HTML mails. Configuring Email Clients tells you how.
Off Topic
Some topics are quite simply Off Topic: see the Off Topic page for examples and for links to more appropriate forums.
Holy Wars
Some topics have been done to death. Sometimes there is more mileage to be had in revisiting the subject, but more often than not the topic is just an open invitation for a holy war between rival believers, generally serving very little purpose and causing the list chaperone to get upset and put his big pointy [ADMIN] hat on (er, post to the list requesting that a particular thread be discontinued).
- Font Size - "Pixels are always better than Ems" or vice-versa
- To Hack Or Not To Hack - "You should never use hacks" - "Oh yes you should"
- Tables Vs Divs - "You should never use tables"
- Tables Vs Lists - "You should never use tables"
- Presentation Vs Content - should all presentation be done in CSS rather than html
- Semantic Vs Presentational - should code be marked up semantically or to provide hooks for design
- Browser Wars - which browser is best, which browsers you should support
- Css Editors - "My editor is better than yours. And so is my platform. And my dad.'
FAQs
Some topics are such oft-asked questions that they are addressed in the wiki
- Rounded Corners - CSS needn't be boxy
- Three Column Layouts - these people suffered so you don't have to
- Any Column Longest - I want all my columns to be the same height
- Footer Info - Footers that stick to the bottom and stuff
- Classes Vs Ids - when should I use CLASS and when should I use ID?
- Style In Email - CSS applied to email (if you absolutely must send html mail, that is ;)
There's plenty of other useful stuff in the wiki - don't forget to have a proper look there before posting.
