CSS vs Browser Support
CSS Report
So what's the deal with all this?
CSS is awesome, but unfortunately there are problems with its development just like every other type of technology created to unify platforms and programming... here is the deal, CSS is being developed and created by a team of designers and programmers to create new better and easier ways to design websites. Using their extensive knowledge at web design and working with current browser programmers they are creating new standards which are making it possible for designers to create websites with more ease and flexibility than has ever been possible before.
Here is the controversy, one camp is taking more of a purist point of view of CSS and the other is trying to take a more practical "if it's going to happen it’s going to happen like this" point of view.
First, the purists, the current CSS working group has members of which represent major browser companies, this doesn't seem like a huge deal, except these representatives know the limitations and strengths of their particular internet browsers, so they may be hindering the process of creating new and better standards because they want to make sure that their old browsers still support it. What the purists would like to see happen is a CSS working group made solely of members whose number 1 priority is making CSS work the best it possibly can, to expand its functionality and usability regardless of browsers supporting it or not. It should be the responsibility of the CSS working group to create the standards and the responsibility of the browser companies to adopt them and make whatever changes to their browser necessary to make it work.
On the other hand, CSS is being implemented into browser, however it doesn't always work... the problem is that browsers aren't always quick to update their technology to catch up with new technologies and make their browsers completely functional with the new CSS standards. On top of that, browser companies have their hands in process of creating these new standards and with each browser trying to protect itself from these new technologies, it is stifling the ability of CSS to really take off and be as functional as possible. Here is the thing though, what good is a great set of CSS standards if the browsers aren't implementing them? If the CSS working group stopped working with the browser companies and just made the standards the way they thought they should be done, then web designers would be facing problems from creating websites with newer CSS but users still browsing with browsers that aren't capable of what the CSS working group believes they ought to be capable of.
The problem is this, there is a lot at stake for the browser companies, they all want to make sure the product is represented well to users so they are doing all they can to make sure that happens. Meanwhile designers have a lot at stake because they are trying to make new and innovative web site designs but are being hindered because the browsers just can't display these "new and innovative" creations.
What needs to happen is this, major browsers need to realize that the reason people are using their product is because of the websites they go to. If new CSS allows users to have a better experience online, that means that they are going to spend more time online with your browser. In order for them to have the best time surfing the web, you need to make sure that the websites they go to are "new and innovative." Browsers, stop putting CSS in a stranglehold and let it go. Then you need to keep up. Your users deserve it.