Slashdot HTML 4.01 and CSS

After 8 years of my nasty, crufty, hodge podged together HTML, last night we finally switched over to clean HTML 4.01 with a full complement of CSS. While there are a handful of bugs and some lesser used functionality isn't quite done yet, the transition has gone very smoothly. You can use our sourceforge project page to submit bugs and we'd really appreciate the feedback. Thanks to Tim Vroom for putting the HTML in place, Wes Moran for writing the HTML in the first place, and Pudge for writing the code to convert 900k users, 60k stories, and 13 million comments to comply. And for the brave, download the stylesheet and start experimenting with new themes and designs for Slashdot: some sort of official contest to re-design Slashdot is coming soon, so you can get a head start now.

Response to some reader notes in the forum:

• There are a handful of validation errors. Some will be fixed in the next day or so. Others are external HTML that is out of our hands. We may never toally validate with zero errors. yes we're comfortable with that.
• We're not going to XHTML for the same reasons as above- we control almost all of our HTML, but some of it (like the ads, and imports from other sites) just isn't ours to muck about with. We could go to XHTML, and someday we might, but today we're happy to just get to HTML 4.01 and CSS.
• Light Mode will be back in some form or another. The problem is that light mode served two purposes: Low Bandwidth, and Simplified Design. The later will probably be handled with a CSS theme (we have a handheld theme already). Low Bandwidth is a little trickier, but we will resolve that soon.
• All of our code is beta tested on www.slashcode.com and use.perl.org. Unfortunately there's always a few issues from those tiny tiny sites and the giant bohemoth that is Slashdot itself.

Let me be the first to say ...

[YankeeInExile]

I for one, welcome our new Standards Compliant Overlords.

Wrong date?!

[NoSuchGuy]

April's Fool day again?

Re:Let me be the first to say ...

[suwain_2]

Standards Compliant Overloads?

S.C.O.?

*shudders*

Looks Great

[Omnieiunium]

I just checked this morning and noticed something different looks great. Hell of a lot better then before. Looks a lot cleaner and sleaker. However my only concern is if you included an automated duper-detector. Or is that asking too much?

Re:Mod points?

[Omnieiunium]

I would mod you up for that comment but...

Well

[chrisgeleven]

Time to get on the Duke Nukem watch...

Aha!

[GreatDrok]

So that's what is wrong with it. I have been looking at the page all day thinking there was something weird going on and now I know!

Re:Let me be the first to say ...

[Martin Blank]

Think about it. Slashdot has updated its code. It moves fast, and it's standards compliant.

Face it. The end has come, and IBM will soon fall, as McBride stumbles across a smoking gun and gains control of IBM's board.

We're all doomed. If you're not in the bunker yet, it's probably too late.

Re:Wrong date?!

[geoffspear]

I noticed that when I was asked to metamoderate this morning, I wasn't given the false promise I'd be more likely to receive mod points.

Better rending in Firefox and less dishonesty! What's not to like?

Re:Kudos on a great upgrade!

[dsginter]

I was just going to ask if we could get a few more CSS styles like we saw in the Beta.

Yes - I'd really love to view every page in my favorite one [slashdot.org], automagically!

Well Done.

[feargal]

After eight years, this news website has finally gotten around to using proper HTML.

So, will it be another eight years before this news website gets around to using some proper editors?

Getting with the Times New Roman

[ishnaf]

'Times New Roman' is so 27BC. It'd only take one line of css to get something with class. Like 'Comic Sans MS'. Everyone loves 'Comic Sans MS'.

Re:Well, I guess I have the best compliment

[Anonymous Coward]

I think from now on everyone should <font all put random fragments of ($MSGBODY) things that look like S=(unqT,"\xb\ntd\xbz\x14d"); code in our /font> messages to make it appear as if there are all kinds of @bsyrdyrd errors in the new system. They'll try to track down the bugs for weeks.

Re: Just looking at the source

[MexicanMenace]

"Just looking at the source doesn't give me a headache anymore though, which is a massive improvement."

Yeah, all I see now is blonde, brunette, redhead.

Wait a minute, that's not /.!

Re:Kudos on a great upgrade!

[muszek]

"Sorry, links to Bugzilla from Slashdot are disabled."

chickens

Re:Testing process

[Mr. Underbridge]

Why don't you guys have a formal testing process in place for slashcode?

They do, we're it.

Re:Wrong date?!

[Anonymous Coward]

I didn't notice nothing differnt about slashdot this morning. It still looks the same. They haven't done anything like DHTML or menus at the top with drop down effect. They're also still using Perl instead of PHP. The shuold be moving to PHP since that's what all other sites are doing now. THey also havn't changed their icons in like forever. And the green Slashdot logo needs to go. There's also no background graphic to give the site a more polished magazine like feel. If they knew anything about design, they'd be following the lead of sites like Wired.com and Playboy.com. After all Slashdot is really just an online magazine at this point. You guys should also consider a print version of Slashdot. I think if you combine the look of Wired, Playboy and MacOS X you'd have a winning UI. You should also force user's browsers to open a new window devoid of any browser menus/widgets/buttons. That way you could then create a true UI for Slashdot and make it like a magazine application. A navigation bar at the top with Aqua-esque buttons would be grand. There should also be application sounds. Clicking on buttons should play different sounds. Like if you click on the link for apple.slashdot.org, you should hear the Mac startup sound. Or if you click on yro.slashdot.org, you should hear a gavel pounding on a desk. Or if you click on bsd.slashdot.org, you should hear a death rattle. There should also be a live Slashdot cam that shows us what you guys are up to at any time of the day. Kind of like Jennicam used to be, only like heavily censored so we don't see private stuff. Maybe the cameras could have moderation so that the highest modded images go on the front page in the upper left corner. Another thing. There is this program/standard file format called Flash. It can really spice up a site and make it feel more like an application. You could also embed some Java apps too, but Flash is the way of the future for all web sites. It's the tool most creatives prefer. So can anywone tell me what is actually different about Slashdot today than it has been since like the 1980s when it was called Usenet?

Clean Green Reaming Machine

[Doc Ruby]

Now that pages take so much less time to render in browsers, Slashdot.org has reduced the overall computational load on the Web. So much less heat generated by browsing computers, so much less power consumed, foreign oil and coal burned. Of course, now we'll more swiftly move from the Front Page directly to Slashdotting some poor server unwittingly mentioned in the story. Maybe the smoke from burning servers will make up for our horde of cleaner-running Slashdotters.

Re:Testing process

[Anonymous Coward]

>I'd prefer that they worry less about standards compliant code, testing, and other bullshit...

Hi, Bill! How are things going Redmond these days?

Re:WOW

[Anonymous Coward]

What kind of news is this anyways?

It's both; News for Nerds _and_ Stuff that matters.(TM)

What a combo!

Re:Let me be the first to say ...

[Captain Splendid]

Sweet! That means DNF should be out this Christmas season!

Re:HTML 4.01?!

[wwwojtek]

about your sig:
There are 11 types of people in the world: those who can count in binary, and those who can't.
and you are the missing third type: people who suggest that they can count in binary but really can't

That explains it

[DoddyUK]

I was wondering why Slashdot looked all screwed under IE5.0 at school.

Here's my suggestion...

[glyons]

.dupe { display: none; }

Listen fellas this is great and all that...

[ellem]

but is this getting us any closer to the new Duke Nuk'em? Shouldn't you boys be working on that?

Re:Kudos on a great upgrade!

[Anonymous Coward]

Me too... I blogged this earlier today, and briefly (first impression) journal'd it too, and would love to comment now on some more technical aspects

Wow, what an exciting life you live.

Re:So that is why

[nacturation]

... slashdot does not work with Netscape 4 when I try it today.

It sucks in Mosaic 1.0 as well.
 

Re:I disagree

[jamie]

Hahahahahaha :)

Re:Kudos on a great upgrade!

[bioteq]

Definitly congrats on the upgrade. Slashdot opens so much smother for me now.

I do believe you guys are up for a case of beer or two.

Re:Kudos on a great upgrade!

[chrisxkelley]

Last but not least, the "Politics" and "Apple" sections look as nice as ever,
 
of course the apple section looks nice as ever. thats just how things are :) apple is pretty, and most of the rest just dont cut it.

Re:Wrong date?!

[Seraph]

edit my ass.

Sorry. There's no substitute for diet and exercise.

Re:Kudos on a great upgrade!

[mattgarnsey]

Show some repect, coward! That's a 2-digit UID you're talking to!

Weird Bug

[PDHoss]

Not sure what's going on, but every once in a while, the same story shows up twice on the homepage. Sometimes the wording is different, but it's basically the same story. Maybe you guys should use FrontPage to check your code.

PDHoss

Re:Let me be the first to say ...

[Gleng]

Well, this year, Slashdot updates it's code, Debian Sarge is released, and Apple switches to x86.

If DNF comes out as well...

Let's just say that that would be the fourth horseman.

Bohemoth

[14erCleaner]

Your typo has created a new word, and I like it!

bohemoth n: A bohemian behemoth.

I'm visualizing a 300-pound beatnik. ooo, that's nasty...OK, maybe that's a typical slashdot member...

Re:HTML 4.01?!

[joib]

I would recommend XHTML over any flavour of HTML simply because XHTML forces the developer to restrict his markup to semantically meaningful elements

Ahem: HOWTO Spot a Wannabe Web Standards Advocate [hsivonen.iki.fi].

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a winner!

Job Opportunity: Hades

[iamlucky13]

Chase your dream job in one of the hottest fields! We are the largest employer in our industry, and this is your opportunity to be a part of a growing team.

We have an immediate opening for an experienced HVAC engineer with our facilities maintanence staff. This is a contract position related to a recent failure of our heating system. Duties will continue until completion of repairs and a period of observation and validation. Responsibilities include:

• Identification and resolution of problems related to heating system failures
• Conduct inspection, supervision, and repair work in an icy environment
• Identification and resolution of maintanence concerns
• Costing and sourcing of required parts/labor related to facilities environmental controls
• Supervision of engineers/technicians of facilities maintanence staff
• Development of updated maintanence plan and documentation of procedures.

The successful candidate will have a BS in mechanical engineering and a minimum of 10 years experience in HVAC, preferrably focusing on heating more than AC. Experience with flame handling equipment preferred. We're looking for a sadistic and maniacal personality who will fit in with the other employees. Security Clearance: must have at least 5 outstanding mortal sins and have not had an exorcism within the past year. ADA limitations: Must be able to reach heights of 5 feet. Must be deceased. Upon hiring, candidate may be required to obstain a bullwhip certification. Ability to work around flying pigs required.

Benefits include medical, dental, and beta access to Duke Nukem Forever.

Send your resume and cover letter to:
[e-mail]
[phone]

MFH's Law

[mfh]

What's more lame is parent saved a really old comment URL that I made, just so he could be petty and vindictive. That he saved that trivia in his puny mind, where the answer to tomorrow's lottery numbers could be stored instead -- that he wasted the time of every reader on Slashdot just to point out the trivia is confounding and inappropriate.

It's turning into a morph of Godwin's Law [wikipedia.org].

Because it's my law, I will call it MFH's Law:

The likelihood that someone will mention MFH(56)'s Slashdot account being purchased on Ebay approaches 100% as the moderation of MFH(56)'s comments increase.

Re:Wrong date?!

[Breakfast Pants]

Whose about to post?

Re:I disagree

[ki4iib]

+4 Funny for "Hahahahahaha :)"?!!! Hell, I can beat that. Check it:

"BWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

oh and :D

Re:I disagree

[minus9]

"Now, I know that Slashcode is inherently badly written, but I've got to assume that it's still dynamically driven, making the actual amount of HTML across all of Slashdot tiny, actually."

Yet you still come here everyday to complain. You're like Stadtler and Waldorf all rolled into one.

Cue the Muppets theme tune...

Re:Kudos on a great upgrade!

[Kjella]

Oh, and UID 0 is always the current user

So, does that mean every user on Slashdot has root or something? >:-)

Re:MFH's Law

[Bertie]

You might only have two digits, pal, but mine's palindromic. Therefore my dad could beat your dad in a fight.

(I'll now sit here and wait for UID #314159 to turn up and swing his dick about)

Re:Let me be the first to say ...

[troon]

It's OK, you've restored order by continuing to misuse the humble apostrophe.

Re:Tags

[Anonymous Coward]

>No matter what W3C claims, it's not really possible to modify a document so a HTML4 parser gives the same DOM as an XML parser--the grammars conflict.
Yes, I too expect that we'll drop all this XML junk and go back to SGML, real soon now.

Re:Kudos on a great upgrade!

[David Rolfe]

I have a journal about this, kinda. Most of those users seem to have fled, or don't post anymore. :-)

I don't see how I always get suckered into 'low UID' threads (somehow they always get modded up past my threshold). Oh, and to all you haters: I did not buy this UID on eBay :-D what is a 2-digit ID worth? I saw from upthread that people must actually sell them. What will people pay for them?