Re: "Stretchy" vs. Fixed-width

Let's not confuse opinion with fact here. Whether you like fixed
width or variable is opinion.

Multicolumn text becoming unreadable when the column widths are not
controlled is a fact.

Anyone can design a layout that stretches to utilize all available
screen real estate. But that doesn't mean that the aesthetics or
usability remains constant as the layout dramatically changes - it
either looks great at larger sizes (and lousy on small ones), or great
on small sizes (and lousy on large ones).

I personally don't have a preference, but can say there are some very,
VERY intelligent people who have put a tremendous amount of time and
effort in order to learn what does and does not work. Perhaps the
pundits on C|Net or eWeek are the 'idiots' that you effortlessly
categorize, but there are also professionals out there that have
expertise that is significantly superior to anyone on this list.

-- Mitch, knowing when his expertise reaches its limits (hint hint)

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 14:07:14 -0500, Robert Treat
<xzilla(at)users(dot)sourceforge(dot)net> wrote:
> Thats because most "professionally-trained" designers are idiots when it comes
> to web design. They want to create artwork like on TV's and magazines
> (because what they really want to be are graphic artists), and they don't
> understand that the web is a different medium. Different users have
> different monitor sizes, and the view text in different font-sizes, and they
> will even view the new website in different languagues. Anyone who has study
> web usability will understand that trying to force your viewpoint of a design
> on someone else just leads to trouble.