google news layout structure- why is he like this?

[neoswf]

hey guys
[i hope this question haven't been asked till now, if so- my
apologies.]

ive looked at http://news.google.com page code layout, and ive seen
that the page layout is table based.

the containers are tables, the hidden personalization panels are also
in tables.
most of the page in build using tables. even the pictures are in
cellspacing=5 tables.

why is that?
why haven't they used css layout?
why the pictures are in tables and don't have simple "margin:5px" ?
and i don't speak about the font tags they used...

i assume that google guys used this technique for cross browsers
support.
but still, this brings me to a second question.
after all our researches (and i can speak only for myself), table
structure after all are the stable, consistent and reliable layout
there is.
of course- content will be putted using right HTML- P,H1-6,Divs, but
still- the table layout proves himself as the right solution.

what do you think?

[David Dorward]

neoswf wrote:

ive looked at http://news.google.com page code layout, and ive seen
that the page layout is table based. why is that?
Because Google suck at markup. Really _really_ suck. They are really
good at search, but web design? No.
i assume that google guys used this technique for cross browsers
support.

No. Its fairly trivial to do that with stylesheets and have good
browser support.

--
David Dorward
<http://dorward.me.uk/>

[neoswf]

David Dorward wrote:

They are really good at search, but web design? No.

i dint think u can say this
i love there design, thats what makes them so good- the simplicity
but u have to distinguish between web design and HTML structure/markup

[David Dorward]

neoswf wrote:

but u have to distinguish between web design and HTML structure/markup

No, you have to distinguish between graphic design and web design. The
latter includes both graphic design and markup authoring.

--
David Dorward
<http://dorward.me.uk/>

[neoswf]

David Dorward wrote:

No, you have to distinguish between graphic design and web design. The
latter includes both graphic design and markup authoring.

why do you say their web design is awful?
i love so much there products. there products: Gmail and News are
amazing for my opinion.
i love the way they characterize there products.
i love the use of HTML in there Gui's. like using a lot of display
none/block in Gui's - like in goggle news. and that specifically in
NEWS u can personalize your page in every section of the page.
they do tremendous job and i don't think its because of lack of HTML
knowledge, i think they have a reason for that

[David Dorward]

neoswf wrote:

David Dorward wrote:

No, you have to distinguish between graphic design and web design. The
latter includes both graphic design and markup authoring.
why do you say their web design is awful?

See your OP for starters.
i love so much there products. there products: Gmail and News are
amazing for my opinion.
They have a lot going for them, they also have their flaws (GMail in
particular, the lack of threading and inability to filter on arbitary mail
headers is terrible).
i love the use of HTML in there Gui's.
Their use of HTML is dreadful - more of an abuse.
like using a lot of display none/block in Gui's
Which has nothing to do with the HTML.
they do tremendous job and i don't think its because of lack of HTML
knowledge, i think they have a reason for that

Lazyness probably. They have very little markup that needs worrying about,
it has huge amounts of recycled templating. I can't believe it would be
that difficult to hire a markup expert for a few months to go in and sort
everything out.

--
David Dorward <http://blog.dorward.me.uk/> <http://dorward.me.uk/>
Home is where the ~/.bashrc is

[Tony]

David Dorward wrote:

they do tremendous job and i don't think its because of lack of HTML
knowledge, i think they have a reason for that

Lazyness probably. They have very little markup that needs worrying about,
it has huge amounts of recycled templating. I can't believe it would be
that difficult to hire a markup expert for a few months to go in and sort
everything out.

You think that's bad, try using Google stuff with the Firefox Javascript
console active. Errors all over the place...

[axlq]

In article <11**********************@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups .com>,
David Dorward <do*****@gmail.com> wrote:

i assume that google guys used this technique for cross browsers
support.

No. Its fairly trivial to do that with stylesheets and have good
browser support.

I disagree. Tables have been supported in browsers long before
stylesheets. If you really want a layout to look consistent in all
browsers, old and new, tables practically guarantee a consistent
layout whereas stylesheets don't.

"Good browser support" doesn't necessarily equate to "wide browser
support."

-A

[David Dorward]

axlq wrote:

No. Its fairly trivial to do that with stylesheets and have good
browser support.

I disagree. Tables have been supported in browsers long before
stylesheets.
And their use has unfortunate side effects.
If you really want a layout to look consistent in all
browsers, old and new, tables practically guarantee a consistent
layout
It's the web. A consistant layout (at least a pixel perfect one) isn't a
useful design goal.
"Good browser support" doesn't necessarily equate to "wide browser
support."

I'll rephrase then. CSS enjoys wide browser support today.

--
David Dorward <http://blog.dorward.me.uk/> <http://dorward.me.uk/>
Home is where the ~/.bashrc is

[Alan J. Flavell]

On Wed, 8 Mar 2006, axlq wrote:

If you really want a layout to look consistent in all
browsers, old and new,
If you "really want a layout to look consistent in all browsers, old
and new", then you haven't understood the WWW, right from start to
finish. The WWW was originally invented for the specific purpose of
allowing the same content to be viewed in situations which were so
disparate that a guarantee of consistent look would have been absurd.
I don't see any reason to throw out that considerable advantage at any
time in the life of the WWW.
tables practically guarantee a consistent
layout whereas stylesheets don't.

So they perversely impose an unnecessary constraint, even in rendering
situations where that constraint makes no sense, or counter-
productive. What kind of tabular layout can you guarantee on a
speaking browser, new OR old, for example?