Skip to main content
Meta Stack Exchange

You are not logged in. Your edit will be placed in a queue until it is peer reviewed.

We welcome edits that make the post easier to understand and more valuable for readers. Because community members review edits, please try to make the post substantially better than how you found it, for example, by fixing grammar or adding additional resources and hyperlinks.

Required fields*

17
  • 34
    Why does this matter at all? It's even rather pretty IMO. Compared to other complete abuse of random formatting for no good purpose, this is really, really minor and doesn't hurt anything AF̜̯̞̲̼̩͜ͅA͖͞I̛̩̮͇Ć̯͚T̯̖͍̩̼͚͝ͅ. What real-world problem does this cause? (Accessibility-type issues?) Commented May 25, 2013 at 8:35
  • If this were a case of a user abusing kbd tags for every second word, you would have a point. If we enforce "no code formatting for non-code text", then why not do the same for kbd tags. But given that's it's a single button-y tag for a link, I say it's too minor to do anything against it. I might edit it out when I stumble upon it, but that's about it. Commented May 25, 2013 at 8:45
  • 20
    @Mat: It's pretty, but it's akin to using tables for layout just because they look the part: it's wrong. Commented May 25, 2013 at 9:01
  • 9
    @BoltClock: I'm not disputing the fact that it's the wrong tag semantically. I fail to see an actual, real problem with that usage though. Commented May 25, 2013 at 9:04
  • See my comments on ChristopherW's answer. Commented May 25, 2013 at 9:06
  • 16
    Looks like a creative use of the available formatting to me. I massively prefer it to the h1 SQL Fiddle links I sometimes see. Perhaps we could have an option for link style to achieve this type of effect in a semantically acceptable way and have some sort of standardised way of presenting such links. Commented May 25, 2013 at 10:18
  • Though I agree with you as for <kbd>, I find your use of [meta-tag:status-declined] wrong as well. Commented May 25, 2013 at 13:27
  • 9
    @MartinSmith: No, keyboard castles are a creative use of the formatting. It's not there so people can just use it for whatever they want to make their post look different. It's there so people can semantically mark up their keyboard input. Any other use should be edited out, period. I replace them with bold all the time. Commented May 25, 2013 at 14:28
  • 4
    @animuson are there rules about what the formatting markup is for and not for? I wasn't aware. IMO, I think this issue is pedantic application of personal preference. I'll mark up my posts how I see fit. Commented Sep 13, 2013 at 15:15
  • 2
    @Chris The HTML specifications? That's a pretty well-defined set of rules... Commented Sep 13, 2013 at 16:14
  • 11
    There's a StackOverflow rule that states all user-generated content must conform to the HTML specification? Which one? Where is that rule listed? Typically, when a user is presented with formatting options, they are allowed to use them -- why offer them without restriction if there are, in fact, restrictions? Generally, style is a matter of preference, unless there are rules otherwise. Are there such rules here on SO? Commented Sep 13, 2013 at 16:27
  • 8
    @animuson By that standard, your use of a horizontal rule in your answer below does not conform to the stated purpose of the HR element -- summary paragraph of preceding paragraphs is not a thematic break. You have also misused inline bold in place of a heading (according to draft HTML 5). OR... you can mark up your posts however you see fit. Sounds like a better route to me. Commented Sep 13, 2013 at 16:34
  • 5
    @Chris Horizontal rules act as separators between sections, and always have. That's how it's acting here - as a separator. One section is a full explanation and the other is a quick summary. I don't understand why you're so hung up on this. The bottom line is - if you're using user input markup where it shouldn't be used, then I will always support the user who edits it to not use it. Commented Sep 13, 2013 at 16:42
  • 5
    @animuson I'm sorry if you feel that you are being "attacked" because I question the ferocity of your opposition to a stylistic embellishment, to the point that you want to modify the behavior of other users through coercion or system design. I disagree that it is I that is "hung up" about it at all; my 2 comments upon having read about this silly thread for the first time hardly represent a significant outlay of time. Giving time and attention to editing all of a user's posts to remove their preferred stylistic formatting, on the other hand... Commented Sep 13, 2013 at 16:54
  • 2
    You know, if everything in HTML was still font tags and presentational attributes, we wouldn't be having this silly debate in the first place. Commented Sep 13, 2013 at 16:59