Ok, I don't believe I have ever really introduced myself here at Ozone, so here goes. Let me lead in with this: I made a big discovery this past month that has rekindled my web spirit, so to speak. I feel the need to express this to people who understand, as explaining my excitement to family and friends is useless because they just don't get it.
I have been doing web stuff off and on since I got my first windows machine in 93'. It all started with a personal website on Prodigy (yes Prodigy) Back in that time there was a huge cult-like following on the internet of a popular fantasy series by an author named Rober Jordan. The net was filled with crazed fans, and I was one of them. Still am, but the waiting . . . I worked on my site diligently, and got tons of hits and fan mail for my work. I did that and a few other mediocre sites for a few years and then ended up going on to be a chef. After 8 long years of misery, I decided that it wasn't for me. Yeah, I was good at it, but I didn't want to be remembered for clogging peoples arteries. I decided it was time for a change.
In early 2001 I got back into web design. I decided to go back to school for it, which turned out to be a waste of money and pretty stupid. ITT Technical Institute is a joke, do not go there. They teach archaic standards and the faculty is incompetent. But that is neither here nor there. Although, if you are thinking of going there, please email me and let me try and talk you out of it. 
I have worked hard at bettering myself and what I do, and I'd like to give a round of applause to everyone at the Asylum. I don't post that often, but I do read a lot. I have learned a lot here, and still learn something new every day. This place is made up of some of the best artists and web designer/developers I have ever seen. You are an inspiration.
Back to my original point with this post. I am now doing freelance and contract positions and a business I started with a couple people. I am in front of the computer most of the day and night now, but I have no complaints. I would take on more work if it became available. Who needs sleep anyways? I love the web, but I was tired of making complex nested table layouts just to get a 3 column layout. Where is the fun in that, too many limitations, not enough control over the content. And then there is the frustrating issue of browser compatibility. If it looks good in one, it's bound to look bad in another. I was about ready to call it quits again, that is how frustrated I was getting.
About a month ago I was browsing this board, and one link led to another and I ended up here.
I'm sure many of you have seen and read this, if you haven't and are not using CSS I would urge you to do so. Great article, it changed the way I have viewed web design for the past 10 years in a matter of minutes.
I have been using CSS for a while now, but had never tried using it for my page layouts. I was doing what most people do, I never really got what the true potential of CSS was. Separation of content and style?? Heh, impossible I thought. How the hell are you supposed to do that? I was still stuck in the dark ages of web design, looking for a new way of doing things, and by god I have found it and have fallen in love with the web all over again.
To me, having discovered CSS, is the best thing since sliced bread. I know I am late, and the concept has been around for a while, but oh well. It has brought me out of the dark ages of table design and absolutely positioned top-left corner design, to the limitless (well, sort of) possibilities of table-less design.
Ramasax
posted 09-13-2003 21:14
