acronym, abbr, cite, blockquote 2

[1DMF]

Hi,

I've come across yet more tags that I have never used and looking at many websites , no one else does either.

As I constantly try to improve my markup skills, I would like to learn the correct use of all tags available and their primary function.

(Yes i've read W3C, that tells me what they are for)

So my question is , what do they do, how important are they, the fact most don't use them makes me think it's more accessibility and semantics, rather than any funcionality.

Obviously it would take a while to update all my websites with these tags, is it really worth it, what benefit will it bring, do they give you any SERP kudos or is it purely a coding pride thing?

All input appreciated.

"In complete darkness we are all the same, only our knowledge and wisdom separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!

 

[Vragabond]

There's many articles that deal with the "forgotten tags" and let's start the list with our very own cLFlaVA's:
[ul square]
[li]

http://www.coryarthus.com/news/153

[/li]
[li]

http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2007/04/16/html-the-top-five-forgotten-elements/

[/li]
[li]

http://www.autisticcuckoo.net/archive.php?id=2004/12/15/forgotten-element-types

[/li]
[li]

http://www.3point7designs.com/blog/2006/12/26/semantic-tags-you-may-have-forgotten

[/li]
[li]

http://garbageburrito.com/blog/entry/19

[/li]
[/ul]
So, after reading all this, are they useful? Definitely, if you find a use for them. Abbr and acronym will mostly be used for accessibility, since not all people know what LOL, HTML, abbr. or IAEA might mean. Some will simply make your code more semantic and clean help you style it (it is more appropriate and cleaner to have <cite></cite> than <span class="citation"></span>). I advise you to go over your websites and look at your code and your content -- if you see the need for any of these tags, use them, if not that is ok as well. I suppose using <kbd></kbd> could work for the access keys from one of your previous questions.

___________________________________________________________
[small]Do something about world cancer today: PACT[/small]

 

[1DMF]

Thanks Vragabond.

A lot to read, will take me while, what's <kbd> tag , man why do I always open a can of worms!

"In complete darkness we are all the same, only our knowledge and wisdom separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!

 

[1DMF]

hmm, can you help clear up the correct use of acronym, for example if you spell out the word but then put the acronym in brackets, should you still use the acronym tag...

Treating Customers Fairly (<acronym title="Treating Customers Fairly">TCF</acronym>)

seings as it is standard practice to put the acronym in brackets at the end of the wording, is then adding the acronym tag over kill, or correct markup?

"In complete darkness we are all the same, only our knowledge and wisdom separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!

 

[Foamcow]

Putting the accronym in brackets is a practice carried over from printed documents. There is nothing wrong with using it for the web at all, but using the accronym tag in conjuction with it is not a bad thing either.
The accronym tag adds some meta information, it says what something is. So imagine an application that was scanning the net and building a searchable database of accronyms. It could slurp up your page and know that TCF was an accronym, pick up it's definition and add it to the database.

<honk>*:O)</honk>

Tyres: Mine's a pint of the black stuff.
Mike: You can't drink a pint of Bovril.

 

[1DMF]

thanks peeps,

Some may say i've taken semantics and standards too much to heart, but hey I used to be like them once, sloppy code , incorrect markup, non-standards or cross browser compliant.

Then i met you guys, you soon kicked me into touch.





"In complete darkness we are all the same, only our knowledge and wisdom separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!