The document outlines common mistakes made by web developers, including issues with font scaling, ignoring web standards, and lazy browser testing. It emphasizes the importance of flexible design, proper link visibility, and security practices, while cautioning against over-reliance on frameworks and tools like CAPTCHAs. Additionally, it highlights various bonus blunders such as rewiring code unnecessarily and neglecting proper user input validation.

1. Common Mistakes Made BY Web Developers Prepared by: Mansi Godayal Sep -29-2011 BOSS Webtech Private Limited www.bosswebtech.com

2. Flexibility with Different Text Sizes Website users having low vision may keep their font-size magnified, for their easier reading. Many website fall apart in unfortunate ways if font is enlarged. Resultant problems: Overlapping text, which becomes unreadable Text disappears from the page when it overflows the layout.

3. Ignoring Web Standards Web standards were invented for a reason Most developers will disagree with some aspects A novice developer will make typical mistakes such as: Forgetting or using inappropriate DOCTYPEs. Using old-school HTML such as table layouts and center elements Not appreciating the subtleties of inline or block elements, e.g. putting h2 headings inside a span Not validating their code. Using a validator then ignoring the results and arguing that validators are inherently flawed

4. Lazy browser testing Test in one browser throughout the whole of the development process Spend more time persuading people that other browsers are rubbish rather than fixing their application If they’re given no other choice, they’ll implement horrible quick fixes using browser-sniffing

5. Spending too much Time with the Choice of Framework If we have a small application (say less than 10 lines of code) the framework probably isn't your problem anyways. And if you have more code than that, it's still not that hard to switch systems when you really have to. The framework choice used to be a lot harder when the systems were incompatible. But this clearly no longer is the case.

6. Text that Looks Like Links; Links that Look Like Text There's a well-established expectation that linked text is underlined. As a result, any underlined text will receive attention on your website as if it were a link . Similarly, if your links are not underlined, or do not in other ways appear to be links, they will frequently be overlooked.

7. (Too much) Visual thinking Treating the web as WYSIWYG – starting off by focusing on how things look instead of thinking about structure first, and presentation later . There is no way of making the web WYSIWYG. There will always be variations as long as people use different browsers, OS, monitor sizes, screen resolutions, window sizes, colour calibration, and font sizes. The web is not print or television. Make your design flexible.

8. CAPTCHAs The compromise between spam prevention and accessibility is always a problem. However, there are much better tools for spam prevention than the CAPTCHA (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart). A little bit a content analysis can go a very long way in removing spam, without having any negative impact on visitors with disabilities. Using a CAPTCHA creates significant barriers for customers with disabilities..

9. Security Issues SQL injection (still see it around unfortunately) Emailing credit card details (most cases they shouldn't be stored anyway) Storing passwords in plain text Trusting the client data - things like putting the amount for an order in a 'read only' text box and just expecting users not to tamper with it

10. Bonus blunders Continually rewriting and refactoring the same code Under-estimating development time Inappropriate use of Flash Creating separate CSS files for every browser Spending hours arguing why technology X is better than technology Y rather than getting on with the task Quoting statistics as justification for ignoring or not testing in some browsers Not validating user input or assuming client-side-only validation is adequate

12. About BOSS Webtech BOSS Webtech is a process oriented design house specializing in web design, web development, backend web programming, mobile application development and other web and mobile related design and support services. Recently launched BizPlus – Mobile based survey software. Check it more here http://bizplusonline.com/ More products here http://www.bosswebtech.com/products/products.html CONTACT BOSS WEBTECH Call 831-998-9121 at US EST/CST/MST/PST Zone or email [email_address]