Give up and use tables

November 17th 2008

We’ve scientifically determined the maximum amount of time that you should need to make a layout work in CSS: it’s 47 minutes. It’s time to give up and use tables. Via Ajaxian.

Comments

KM (not verified) 17 November 2008, 00:29 (Permalink)

I agree, if it takes you more than 47 minutes to get just the layout right with CSS, you need to get better at CSS or give up. They obviously think you need to give up instead of get better at it. Whatever works for you, I guess.

I guess you can apply this to programming as well! Everyone be lazy and write terrible and fragile code if you can’t figure it out! At least it works, right? Bill those clients, bill ‘em good.

Chris Freitag (not verified) 17 November 2008, 00:29 (Permalink)

@Rollo Amen!

I can’t even believe people are still holding onto tables with such religious zeal. It reminds me of the users who would not let Quark go in the print world. People learn something and never want to learn anything else ever again for the rest of their lives.

Rollo (not verified) 17 November 2008, 00:29 (Permalink)

This is ridiculous. In 2008 no one should be using tables for layout. We shouldn’t even be talking about this subject.

dsef (not verified) 17 November 2008, 00:29 (Permalink)

Sometimes, with all the CSS hacks, tricks etc. I doubt its worth to religiously go with CSS, only for the pleasure of a CSS validator. The idea of the separation of layout is good in theory, but with the browser variaty its far from optimal.

Permana Jayanta (not verified) 17 November 2008, 00:29 (Permalink)

I think I prefer to get better with CSS than give up and use tables. Doesn’t mean I don’t like Table Layout .. but I prefer using table just for displaying data.

Constantinos Demetriadis (uxmag) (not verified) 17 November 2008, 00:29 (Permalink)

I know I’m going out on a limb here, but, yeah… KM has got it right.

Anyway, true feeling is that this is more of a humorous answer to shouldiusetablesforlayout.com than an actual attempt to persuade people NOT to use CSS.

KM (not verified) 17 November 2008, 07:10 (Permalink)

I agree, if it takes you more than 47 minutes to get just the layout right with CSS, you need to get better at CSS or give up. They obviously think you need to give up instead of get better at it. Whatever works for you, I guess.

I guess you can apply this to programming as well! Everyone be lazy and write terrible and fragile code if you can’t figure it out! At least it works, right? Bill those clients, bill ‘em good.

Constantinos Demetriadis (uxmag) (not verified) 17 November 2008, 10:36 (Permalink)

I know I’m going out on a limb here, but, yeah… KM has got it right.

Anyway, true feeling is that this is more of a humorous answer to shouldiusetablesforlayout.com than an actual attempt to persuade people NOT to use CSS.

Permana Jayanta (not verified) 24 November 2008, 19:51 (Permalink)

I think I prefer to get better with CSS than give up and use tables. Doesn’t mean I don’t like Table Layout .. but I prefer using table just for displaying data.

dsef (not verified) 28 November 2008, 07:09 (Permalink)

Sometimes, with all the CSS hacks, tricks etc. I doubt its worth to religiously go with CSS, only for the pleasure of a CSS validator. The idea of the separation of layout is good in theory, but with the browser variaty its far from optimal.

Rollo (not verified) 29 November 2008, 02:46 (Permalink)

This is ridiculous. In 2008 no one should be using tables for layout. We shouldn’t even be talking about this subject.

Chris Freitag (not verified) 1 December 2008, 15:43 (Permalink)

@Rollo Amen!

I can’t even believe people are still holding onto tables with such religious zeal. It reminds me of the users who would not let Quark go in the print world. People learn something and never want to learn anything else ever again for the rest of their lives.

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