Posh it Up
Does the phrase “semantic HTML” mean anything to you?
If you’re a web developer, then you’re probably familiar with the concept, if not the name. Semantic HTML refers to clean HTML code that’s free of any type of presentational markup. That means no more table tags for layout purposes and no more empty gif files that serve as spacers. You’ve heard of separating content and design with the use of HTML and CSS, and the concept of semantic HTML is a key component of this separation.
The main idea of semantic HTML is to create simpler, cleaner code . . . so why use such a bulky name to describe it? Well, recently someone else asked the same question, and the term “POSH” was coined. It stands for “plain old semantic HTML”, and its monosyllabic nature allows it to roll off the tongue in a way “semantic HTML” never did.
So I’m hoping this new term catches on. Thanks to Dan Cederholm for introducing me to this term in his blog.