May 13th, 2005 
Critique Policy: "We're not Experts in the Beginning"
As a growing trend I've seen with the review of websites is a few things.. mainly the constant div vs. tables argument, and the continued 'standards' Holy War here.
This place was created as a place to review someone's site functionality and overall presentation. It is not to review raw code! If you would like to review raw code, do it in threads that ask for certain things in the Client-side forums!
Everyone here isn't not familiar with standards, and W3C compliance, so therefore, they do not deserve to be treated with hostility or any kind of degrading of their ability to develop a website.
Here is a quick rundown of what I'd like to see you doing instead if you'd like to preach the world of standards, or the tables vs. divs argument!
Give it only if asked
Unless they are claiming they have an XHTML valid website, or valid CSS, and it shows up as invalid, you can then point out errors in the 'validator'.. man I would just love to DDoS that stupid thing, it causes so many arguments on here, and it makes members feels as if they haven't accomplished anything. QUIT USING THE VALIDATOR AS IF IT WERE THE BIBLE!
What you can do.. is recommend alternative ways to develop the website using standards, and list out the pros of doing so. You can also list resources where they can go to learn about these, and invite them to post in the Client-side forums.. I'm sure they can find adequate help there if that is something they WISH to pursue.
The web, whether you like it or not, is not all your way, or the highway.
The Fox isn't always out of his hole, so don't go killing Explorers at the Opera
Another thing is, the constant bickering that falls with sites that don't render in some users browser of choice. Do not sit there and bash Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, or Safari, you may bash Mac IE5 however.
Not everyone knows what's up with these, so try educating on what they can do, instead of waging your war against IE, it's annoying, and it makes members feel annoyed. Explain to them why IE may render things differently than the browser you're using without feeling the need to attack the browser that person is using, you can't convert everyone, and forcing doesn't help.
In the end, we're here to help, and volunteer our time
As members.. that includes staff, we are here 1st off to help. Your registration binds you to our AUP and TOS, that means you are required to abide in your posts by those. Hostility towards people's reviews in a sense of a 'parameter' that isn't needed, is unacceptable. However, I'm not going to be an anti-standards nazi, because I also believe in them.
I am going to be against those who feel they have to force standards on everyone. Everyone isn't an expert from day one, and most of you aren't Experts either, most of us are not, because our profession continues to evolve and grow, so we're never ahead of the game, regardless of what your ego says.
We are here to help, and if you feel that standards would help someone's site, point it out as an alternative, not as a 'death sentence' if you don't use them.
That's all I'm going to say on this, this thread will be left open for comment.
___________________
