This section will be a dynamic work in that as the Web changes, there will always be more "Don'ts" and some "Don'ts" might become "DOs" and vice versa. I will sometimes refer to a URI (URL for those who don't know better) where a particular "Don't" may occur. Hopefully that Website owner won't come after me.

If any of my visitors can think of additional "Don'ts" that should be included, let me know and I'll credit it to you. Email me at webmaster@guidenet.net - Craig T. Harding

Don't use the "blink" tag. Fortunately Microsoft has eliminated the blink tag from their browser. This concept includes using too many text or image objects that just repeat the same animation, mimicking the blink tag over and over. Most Web surfers just hate this. Try using design, color, bold, white space and placement to emphasize an item. Clients often demand this because they don't understand, but try to avoid it.

Properly implemented and classy use of animation is fine' In fact can be very attractive. Just don't be annoying with a flashing "CLICK HERE" or something similar.

Don't use a Splash page unless it contains navigation and content, but then that's not a splash page, is it? Too many clients and Web designers want to show off something fancy like Flash or other animation. While it might seem nice at the time, visitors usually avoid it and search engines have a tough time indexing it.

Think about it. How often do you click the "skip into" button when presented with a splash page? Or, do you just leave because you're tired of waiting for it to load?

Visitors want to see this immediately, without scrolling or splash, upon entering a site:

• logo or branding
• some navigation
• a little "about" content
• fish food *

Don't use Flash without a noflash tag and with content in that tag. What this means is that if you create a Flash page or a Script only page, you might want to include content within "noflash" or "noscript" tags so that visitors without the proper plug-in can see something other than a warning that they don't have it and where to get it.

Moreover, search engine spyders can't see streaming binary and therefore can't index it. If you do get placed on that search engine, your indexing might read like this:

(image from Excite Search engine)

Not very exciting is it? Well, that's all the search engine saw, so that's what it used. Nobody's going to click and visit those links, are they?

Lose those Horizontal Rule bars. I know that HRs are easy and I know they work, but they're tacky and ugly as well as totally not needed.

You don't see horizontal bars in books, magazines or ad copy. You only see them on the Web. The reason for this is that in print media, we use an indent to separate a minor change in direction. We call it a paragraph break. We skip a line at more major changes in thought and change a chapter or title sub-headings on even more changes in direction.

The problem with the Web was that there was no easy way to indent for a paragraph. People had to skip a line. That left no easy way to designate a larger change in direction so they used the horizontal rule bar. There is even an HR tag in html.

Or, you could invent your own .

or a really ugly one like this *

Either way, its just plain poor design, usually seen on Geocities and AOL-type personal sites. Instead, use white space, bold text, and other ways to designate a change of thought. It creates a much more professional design. Keep the HR around for major low bandwidth dividers to possibly separate the bottom address info from the rest of the page and do that very sparingly.

*Some of these copyrighted images are used under the Fair Use rule.

Don't make it hard to read. I mean, you worked hard on the graphics, got it listed on the search engines, the visitors are flocking to your new site, and what do you do? You put some crazy background on there making the content impossible or so hard to read, nobody bothers. Does this make sense?

Don't fall for reverse typography either. White or light text on a black or dark background is great for titles, subtitles or even short blurbs, but not so easy to read in paragraph sized or larger quantities. Beginner designers think this style makes their site stand out.. glow. Maybe it does, but who cares if the visitors leave after admiring that glow, never reading the content.

A supposedly stylish background and image objects are no substitute for a well thought out design and layout. Here's an example of an amateur Web design site where there is a white background but about everything else is wrong. The content isn't bad, just the implementation.

Don't use cheap tools. Remember, a professional auto mechanic might own tools valued at over $100,000. Should a professional settle for less? What does that say about their attention to quality and professionalism? Professionals use tools like Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Freehand, Illustrator, and Ultra-Dev. The amateurs use amateur tools like Paintshop Pro and Front Page.

There might only be a small difference in quality about the way Photoshop handles anti-aliasing or the way Dreamweaver handles code validation, but compound that difference over a whole Website, and it becomes obvious to most.

Don't display membership logos if you're a Web designer. This is just my opinion, but I tend to see HTML Writers Guild, Association of Internet Professionals, etc. on mostly pretty amateurish Websites. I guess that real professionals don't have to attempt to add to perceived credibility. Again, unneeded links are invitations to leave the site.

Avoid Link Exchange type advertising banners unless someone is paying a fairly high price for them. This is another hallmark of the amateur.. also someone who might not have passed elementary school math.

Let me see. You want me to invite two people to leave my site, while placing ad copy on my site, while possibly placing crappy design on my site, while using non-matching design and colors on my site, and giving this ad banner prominent location on my site while you give me one dubious ad banner at some location of your choosing, inviting one person who might not be interested to my site.

Does that make any sense to any but the most mentally challenged Webmasters? Personally, I can't imagine a dumber way to attempt to gain an audience. Remember, people who take banner links will take them right away from you as well. Are these the type of visitors you want? A client might consider firing a Webmaster for this kind of foolishness.

The one advantage to the link exchange type banners, that I can see, is that they are usually of better quality than the pages where you see them. It might be a pleasure to take that invitation to leave the originating Website. Remember some of these banners are paid for and professionally designed to take away traffic with fish food .*

Lose those pop-up advertisements and don't put music on your site automatically says HTML Writers Guild Member Renita Williams, and I agree. Having a pop-up open without a "click" is unethical in my opinion in that it opens an instance of your browser without your permission. No Website should ever open a computer program without permission.

Unless the client demand it, music should be defaulted to "Off" with controls allowing the visitor to turn it on if desired. If someone is surfing at night with the rest of the family asleep, or if at work and not wanting to draw attention, a loud Website can make you leave right away. Give it a thought.