Modern Web Building Is Far Beyond That Bit of HTML You Learned in Grad School

Pretending to know everything closes the door to finding out what’s really there.

— Neil deGrasse Tyson

It is far from unusual for me to hear something like this, when someone is introduced to their library’s website: “Oh, I know how to program in HTML. I’m sure I’ll have no trouble.” To be brutally honest, I cringe any time I hear this, for a whole host of different reasons. Let me try to sum them up, in no particular order:

• Just the fact that the person used the word “programming” tells me they weren’t paying attention somewhere, because HTML is definitely not a programming language. It’s a markup language. Java, C++, Perl? All programming languages. If the person doesn’t know the difference, that sets off big alarm bells in my head. What else don’t they know that they probably should?
• These days, my work is that of a front-end web developer for a state agency. The last real programming I did was to write a library registration program from scratch in Perl (this was before the advent of commercial systems). Now I do scripting, which is typically done in either PHP or Javascript. Both are far more complex than HTML, but still not programming.
• Leaving the problematic word “programming” aside, it’s likely that what they learned was HTML 4.x, which is now deprecated. And the differences between 4.x and the current version, 5.x, are not small ones. This puts me, as someone who focuses on current best practices, in the difficult position of trying to verify just what the person knows. Most don’t even realize HTML has version numbers or which version they learned.
• Lastly, there’s the piece of this that requires me to explain to them that they’re working with a content management system (CMS) as their new website. This means that users put in content without needing to know anything technical. In other words, no HTML required. This usually results in the staff person, who had been hoping to show off their alleged prowess, inevitably being disappointed (although the rest of the staff are likely thrilled, and being easy for the layperson is one of the main benefits of a CMS).

Another variant I’ll hear sometimes is along the lines of “Oh, our library is going to build our own site from scratch,” which is then often followed with the same line of “I know HTML.” This one also makes me cringe. Sure, they might be able to maybe build something brochure-like with only HTML. Even if they are familiar with CSS, that’s not going to be enough to make a modern website. Here are two reasons why:

1. Websites are now almost exclusively database-driven. That means that all of the data is stored in a database (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL). Then scripting in the code of the website pulls that data as needed.
2. A lot more must be considered now, beyond just the structural code (which is all the HTML is). Is the site optimized for speed? Does it display cleanly across different browsers and devices? Is it accessible? Is it secure from attacks like SQL injections? Back in the 1990s, HTML was enough. It hasn’t been enough since at least the early 2000s.

Most of this could be interpreted as “Laura is pretty grumpy and fussing over semantics.” To be fair, that probably isn’t wrong. However, my point goes further than just those judgments.

One of the luxuries that I have, doing web work for not-for-profit agencies as a not-for-profit agency, is being able to educate clients without dancing around any proverbial bushes. To me, clients being able to understand what’s involved in modern web development helps them to manage expectations about cost, timelines, and maintenance. An educated client is far better to work with, and most libraries seem to appreciate my candid approach, which differs wildly from that of a for-profit web shop operation. I’m not obligated to upsell, for instance. There is no profit, and I get no commission.

There’s nothing wrong with you knowing something about HTML, but that entails a responsibility to understand its limitations. If you’re paying someone to build a site for your library, you’re also paying for their expertise and knowledge. Become an educated client.