HTML5 is for Slackers

I can’t deny it, I’m an old curmudgeon when it comes to HTML validation. I remember with fondness the good old days of XHML and a draconian W3C validator that wouldn’t let you get away with anything. I miss the unquestioned pride of a green “This Page is Valid HTML 1.0 Strict”.

Why this old lady rant? Last week, while doing some validation tests, I noticed that the validator no longer gives you an error if you don’t encode HTML entities, such as ®, ©, ™, or even & (when followed by a space), and >.  Every year I notice something else. Last year, I noticed that the validator no longer complains of unclosed tags (under certain circumstances). I know that is part of the spec, but I still don’t like it. It rubbed the wrong way so much, I made my own Closing Tag Checker.

I know these changes are meant to make things easier, more efficient, and all around better for everyone, but they make me uncomfortable. I’m a pretty uptight person who finds it hard to relax, and go with the flow. God knows it took me years not to cringe at the sight of a <br>  (notice the missing / at the end? Just madness!)

Eventually I’ll overcome this fastidiousness, but today I feel like kvetching! It’s Monday, and I don’t like that either!