Standards Compliance
I believe web standards to be very important in website development. With so many possible combinations of hardware, software, user and environment it's crucial to create websites which can offer the same (or as similar as possible an) experience in any situation. While this is not always possible, by designing and developing websites to agreed standards, we at least take a step in the right direction to making this a reality.
Web Standards
When I develop a website, I endeavour to code to the standards agreed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). If you wish to test the validity of this website's XHTML and CSS, you can do so by clicking the buttons found at the bottom of each page.
These buttons are industry recognised markers to allow any user to see that the XHTML and CSS used to create a webpage meets the standards set by the W3C.
With the sheer number of web browsers available, there are a number of problems that crop up, especially with older versions such as Internet Explorer 5. Where possible I would advise people to upgrade to the latest version of their favourite browser but unfortunately, this isn't always an option. It is possible to hack CSS files to manage these bugs, however in the interests of keeping my CSS valid, I prefer to use multiple stylesheets targetted to specific browsers/versions which allows me to write valid CSS while dealing with any browser specific bugs which might arise.
Accessibility
With the Internet being such a wide place, it is important to attempt to cater for all users, regardless of ability. As such, I try to ensure that my websites meet the standard required in the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). I believe my website meets all the priority 1 and 2 items set out on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 checklist.
I am always looking to improve the accessibility of my website and others so if you have any comments or if you have experienced some trouble with this website, please let me know and I will address the issue as soon as possible.