You Know You’re a CSS Ninja When…
In history, a CSS ninja is a warrior specially trained in a variety of xhtml and css techniques typically equipped with various web design/development tools.
Possible Symptoms
- The first thing you look at on the site is the Source Code.
- You’re extremely obsessed with xhtml/css validation.
- You get annoyed at sloppy code, and have the urge to re-write it even though the site doesn’t belong to you.
- You live by the Semantics Bible.
- You hate IE6 with a passion, possibly IE in general, and you wish it goes to hell.
- Bad usability pisses you off and makes you want to yell at the designer of the site.
- Have all kinds of web developer add-ons on your browser, where it starts looking like a space ship console.
- You wish all browsers behaved the same and there was no such thing as cross-browser testing.
- You talk to yourself when debugging and maybe drop a few ‘F’ Bombs here and there.
- You’re personalized homepage is filled with developer/designer RSS feeds.
- You don’t mind coding away till 4 in the morning.
- Book marking sites become a part of daily life.
- You start dreaming of CSS techniques.
- You can type lines of CSS code faster than you can throw ninja stars.
- When your spouse rolls their eyes at your lame CSS/Web jokes.
- When your spouse has to compete against your computer and website.
- When you IM other CSS ninjas to complain/criticize poorly designed sites.
- Buy domain names left and right when you don’t even need them.
- When you either laugh out loud or get really angry when visiting this site.
(Warning: Do not look in the source code if you have a weak heart or are pregnant, it may result in serious injuries). - You read this whole article and thought I was writing about YOU.
Feel free to add any other serious symptoms of CSS Ninjaosis.
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Author Bio
My name is Soh Tanaka and I am a Los Angeles based designer/front-end developer specializing in CSS driven web design with an emphasis on usability and search engine optimization. I also run a CSS Gallery which is updated daily with the best CSS websites from around the world. Come check it out!
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+ Add Comment42 Peeps Have Spoken Their Minds...
when you see something cool on a site and use firebug to see how they did it :)
You mean you weren’t writing about me?
I LOLd at #16 and almost had a seizure when looking at #21′s site. lol
+ When you wish all browsers had add-ons like firefox
+ When you see print ads, you automatically think in your head how you’re going to lay it out in CSS
Ok about half of these apply to me….maybe that only makes me an HTML Ninja???
hehe, but if number 8 were true, life would be boring…
Me, me and me…
How do you know so much about me? This list is my profile. :-p
Gee.. I’m fitting into about.. 16 of those, purely because I don’t have a spouse or something else similar.
Nice List! Loved reading it!
I am like Micheil, I don’t have a spouse so 15 and 16 doesn’t fit to me. Hey, I am a css ninja, I want a certified or something like that to put it in my site…
Dear lord almighty where did you find the link in #19 ?!
My room-mates probably thought I had a 5 minute spell of autistic epilepsy.
“!-! Nominated for Most Poorly Designed Website in the World by Digg.com”
when you only use div instead of table?
Three-Quarters of me. Definitely. Good news is, it is not 100% me.
I may not be a CSS Ninja, but I about wet my pants when I took a look at that site. Holy cow!
Wow, that must be the work of a Ninja Sensei.
Only 1899 validation Output Errors
& 30 warning(s)…
pretty good for such a modern design :)
.
.
… bookmarked
CLUTCHES CHEST….GAAARRRGH!!
ha, that havenworks site is hilarious. It reminds me of this one – the source is even better:
http://www.alternativetransportservices.co.uk/
Hi,
Nice post.Good information for Designer.
You know.. when… if you are hanging a picture in a room and you imagine adding a margin: 0 auto to get it centered.
Awesome list. Perfectly fits on … me :D
Great article!
that site on #19 is an example of online hell.
it made my head ache
Wow I am not a CSS ninja yet, but I feel like maybe I am becomming a green belt or so? Anyways I really didn’t expect to crack up as much as I did on number 19. How does that site even exist!? That was seriously painful. Also how did this comment box automatically grab my picture for an avatar? I am glad it grabbed a funny/sfw image or is that part of the code? ;)
Oh and by the way I put havenworks through w3c validator just for kicks
2912 Errors, 42 warning(s)
not as bad as I thought it would be…
Very funny article (and I guess I am a ninja, haha). Another point for the list (even when its not directly CSS):
- You are writing angry wishes about the IE behaviour in your php comments ;)
Awesome article. What’s even more funny is ONLY CSS Ninjas would take the time to read the article and then post a comment. Gottcha! :)
Apparently I’m a CSS Ninja :D . And why, why did you show us that Haven Works site? It’s absolutely disgusting.
#19……nufff said
Haha, looks like I’m a CSS ninja to :p
Havenworks.com rocks! (to show people how it is NOT done :p )
Guess am a ninja too then :)
well!havenworks today has 2030 errors and 40 warnings. I guess its trying for some world record or somethin “For the site with most errors”.
@Razvan Pavel
“when you see something cool on a site and use firebug to see how they did it :)”
Omfg, i do that xD
Btw, i lol’ed at most of them and more than half apply to me.. I’m a ninja \o/~
*me throws ninja star*
o/ ~~~~~~*
|
Anyways, great post and website!
Regards,
RaphaelDDL
i actually laughed when i saw that last website. and all this is JUST FREAKING LIKE ME. EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!
btw i worship u soh :D
I believe there will be a time that #19 will become a trend :D
thank you for granting me a good laugh after a day of developing a site for a new client – and actually having achieved nothing because I spent the last 3 – 5 hours or so on YOUR site (including following several links… – hmmm, what did I want to say again? Ah, yes, I’m honestly grateful for that list, ha, ha, ha, and of course thinking you were talking about my humble self, now, at 2pm, somewhere in Austria, Europe,…..
I will be back, certainly.
Addition: I didn’t know that sites like #19 still exist…
I almost had a Seizure by the link…
The most stuff you wrote applies to me, but not quite everything.
at least 10 above is my symptoms..
No,not a ninja at all, tough I don’t mind coding till 4 in the morning
yes… my wife is on competition between herself and my laptop :LOL
to 19 there is a “top” link at the bottom of the site, very usefull or isn’t it? ;)
PS: Your textarea selector need “font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif” like your input-fields too :)
have a nice day
So, I am a CSS Ninja too.
I think there must be a certification or something like that to put it on my site as a proof :D
wink
Excuse my lame English, Coz’ I am new to your language.
BTW, Thanks for your nice articla.
I am a CSS Ninja because I aways visit sohtanaka.com… :)
You know you’re a CSS Ninja when you want to stab designers when they use a plain black background and colours such as white, red, yellow, lime green etc for the text…. noobs
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@Gary
I am a CSS Ninja because I aways visit sohtanaka.com… :)
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lol so true…. it rocks!
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