As the internet has come to dominate the way we as humans obtain information, connect with friends, and establish international relationships, the world of web design has been taken to whole new heights by a select group of people.
We sometimes refer to members of this group as “geeks,” or “nerds.” However, these crude names are devastating the lives of those who make the web what it is today. It is, as I like to call them – “web design addicts,” who are pushing the boundary of online aesthetics and usability to a whole new level. However, at a certain point, these web designers cross an undefined boundary into a world of uncontrollable design addiction. A world where their lives are filled with ‘div classes’ and ‘a hrefs’. A world in which no ‘hr’ tag is complete without the litte ‘/’ at the end. I present to you 10 signs that you have crossed into the realm of web design addiction.
You know you’re addicted to web design if…
- You have the W3C validator URL memorized by heart.
- You have ever actually had a dream involving a div class or img src.
- You get genuinely pissed when your friends don’t know what CSS stands for.
- You’ve ever copied and pasted a website’s CSS and lost sleep for fear of getting caught.
- You can name 10 things wrong with IE6.
- You have those 10 fixes taped to the side of your monitor…just in case.
- You’ve ever turned down a social event to test out the latest update of CSS.
- You’ve timed how long it takes you to type out an XHTML DOCTYPE…and celebrated when you broke your own record.
- You’ve ever taken a CSS or XHTML quiz…just to be sure.
- You ever been truly mad at a family member for not upgrading to Firefox.
- You check the source code of websites you like, and refuse to bookmark sites that still use tabled layouts. Courtesy of Tom
- You spend more time reading/replying web design blogs than actually designing web sites.
- You can name more design sites/designers than # of you real life friends
- You refer to your outfits as “skin.”
*#12,13,14 – Courtesy of JY
Did you make the list? Let’s hope not. If any of these items applied to you – you are a web design addict. But don’t be so down – you are the kind of person who is pushing web design to the next level. So embrace your nerdiness and your geekery. Keep styling those web pages and losing hours of precious sleep to “that one bug.” It’s because of you that the web is what it is today.
Got any more you would like to add to this list? Just drop a comment and I’ll add your suggestion right in!
For more web design tutorials check out the new tutorial site, The Tutorialist.
Lindsey
May 7, 2008 at 7:44 am
Everything but 1 & 4 & 8. The validator sites as a module on my igoogle homepage
Never copied anyone’s CSS. And for the doctype I never write it out manually. I have each one saved in a text file and copy and paste from there. But all in all I embrace my nerdy/geeky web design addicted side 
kremalicious
May 7, 2008 at 9:42 am
love such lists. already commented this on a similiar post on Alpha Blog Designs but have to add it again
11. Writing unreasonable long articles about one single css property
:
Make cool and clever text effects with css text-shadow
but also can’t reinforce no. 4 like lindsay said and as for number 5: i can tell you even more!
Billy Simmons
May 7, 2008 at 10:19 am
2, 3 kinda 5 and I’ve done 10 more times than I can remember.
I hate IE6 D:
Billy
Calvin
May 7, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Oh boy, I qualify with flying colors. Except for numbers: 2 & 8.
Great post, that was hilarious. I love the new site, btw.
Tom
May 7, 2008 at 1:05 pm
9 You’ve ever taken a CSS or XHTML quiz…just to be sure.
10 You ever been truly mad at a family member for not upgrading to Firefox.
Nine and Ten apply
I think their should be one more on that list
11. You check the source code of websites you visit, and refuse to bookmark sites that still use tabled layouts.
Federico Capoano
May 7, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Thank you!
1. I have a validator embedded in firefox
2. I have dream sometimes in which i get lost in xhtml code.
3. I get pissed when my collaborators don’t know how to do basic things with css.
5. I can tell you a lot of more than 10 things wrong with IE6.
6. I have them all in mind because is a daily war against IE6.
9. I did a quiz one time.
10. I hint everyone to use Firefox or Opera.
LOL
Mike
May 7, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Haha 5,6 and 10… so true…
uner
May 7, 2008 at 4:25 pm
LoL~ never thought someone or anyone will list this down! so true what you got there
Stefan
May 7, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Guilty as charged of most of them.
Jacques SEOman
May 8, 2008 at 12:13 am
Am a Web Marketer that shares the office with the web designers. Am passing this one on to them, as it really is good for a laugh. Will get them all to come and post their scores on this questionnaire…hahahah
Brian
May 8, 2008 at 8:54 pm
@Lindsey Embrace it
You belong to that group that is pushing web design like never before.
@Kremalicious Glad you enjoyed it – ABD’s is good as well.
@Billy Who doesn’t
@Calvin Hope you enjoyed the article – keep checking back for another one soon. And thank you for the feedback on the site!
@Tom Added. Thanks for the addition!
@Frederico You my friend, are the definition of “addict.” But that’s fine by me
@Mike Ha. Who hasn’t gotten frustrated with anyone “anti-firefox?!”
@Uner Thanks. I hope you liked it – more coming soon!
@Stefan Thanks for the comment – by the way I love your use of transparency as Vile Works. I think it would look really neat if you made the background image fixed. But that’s just me
@Jacques Thank you for the help – I hope you and your coworkers all enjoy the post!
JY
May 9, 2008 at 1:16 pm
to add a few more:
you spend more time reading/replying web design blogs than actually designing web sites.
you can name more design sites/designers than # of you real life friends
you refer to your outfits as “skin.”
i’m guilty as charged…
Goran Web
May 10, 2008 at 1:46 pm
There is a whole lot more then 10 things wrong with IE6 + IE7 = Quirks Mode.
Brian
May 10, 2008 at 4:52 pm
@JY – Added yours in – thanks for the suggestions! Be sure to check out Photoshop addictions as well!
@Goran Web – Ooh yea. It’s a sad world in IE6. It’s a sad, sad, world…
Sandy Fox
May 12, 2008 at 7:24 am
I knew it was over for me while at lunch with my friends. Two of us started to make “coding jokes”. The other two just stared at us in disbelief. I guess it is official, I am a a computer nerd
Goran Web
May 12, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Hi Sandy
I feel sorry for your other 2 friends, I mean get with the times.
Sandy Fox
May 14, 2008 at 7:23 am
@Goran – Yes, we are now officially the nerds of the group. I can’t remember the joke now but I bet you would have laughed too
Darwin Santos
May 18, 2008 at 8:38 pm
awesome!!!, I honestly thought I was taking this a bit too far but now I know I’m not alone,
I’ll add some more
you know you’re a addicted to web design when …
-you wish you could style your clothes and your room with CSS3 stylesheets
-you hand coded a whole site layout in your palm (Zire 72 in my case)
-you despise ie and its bug collection
-you stopped hanging out with john because he uses tables and ie
there are more but let’s see what happens with this awesome article.
Chad
May 20, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Wow, I didn’t feel identified until I read 12 and 13.
Meshach
April 25, 2009 at 11:08 am
Yes, I’m guilty of about 10 of those.
Facebook Application Developer
November 19, 2009 at 4:42 am
Web design is what mostly web designer think it should be perfect and classic. You have consider a great point. Thanks
Facebook Applications
November 20, 2009 at 4:29 am
Thanks for sharing this with us. Your all points are amazing special the 6th, 7th and 9th.