I really push for standards on the Web. My goal is to do things right, and with the highest quality possible. I am not satisfied with just that though.

When most of what is done on the Web is a stretch, or hack of what was originally intended when HTML and CSS were first conceived, how do we know the right way of using them while designing and developing Web sites? Validating with the W3C would be the easy answer, but I don’t think that addresses the the full scope of the future of the Web.

While a majority of people (and businesses) will be followers, not everyone can be. There needs to be people pushing for the higher level of standards, and new standards that encompass the users desires and the Internet’s capability to move more data, faster. The latter has been an excuse for many designers and developers to become lazy in how they build sites; more bandwidth available to them means crappier code, excessive images, and heavy file size. This is lame, and it’s time the tables be turned from the majority following to the majority taking an active role in pushing for the future standards of the Web.

I’ve talked about this before, but it’s important to recognize that if designers, developers, browsers, hardware makers and Internet thinkers don’t work together, each focusing on their most efficient skill set, the progression of the Web will only continue to slow. Having the majority turn to focusing on pushing for new and better standards will force reluctant parties to move forward.

While many of you us don’t have the time, or experience to actively be involved in the creating and setting of standards, we all have opportunities to understand what is going on and where things are headed, encourage the people around us to use Web Standards, and give our feedback. I’m challenging you to be a part of the future of the Web, not just someone who is happy with the way it’s been.