Developer Tech

Ben Savage recently wrote an article on VentureBeat called “Why HTML5 has provided more tricks than treats in 2012″ criticising what he sees as its low-uptake and over-hype. He quoted Mark Zuckerberg as saying: “The biggest mistake we did as a company (this year) was bet too much on HTML5.”

In this post I’ll explain why I think neither have got it quite right.

If you also think the Zuck’s got it wrong and want to learn how to use HTML5, try our HTML5 Course which goes great with our CSS3 Training for designing sites using the most recent standards for the web.

HTML5 in 2012

To me HTML5 is a fantastic tool that melds the dividing lines between mobile and desktop and extends the boundaries of what is possible with web development. 2012 has seen the adoption of the language in all sorts of diverse areas of the web and to great effect.

With that in mind, here are my 5 reasons why HTML5 is here to stay:

1/ Mobile

Being able to create content that works on any platform is the holy grail of web design. HTML5 not only enables synchronicity between mobile/tablet/desktop but also between different devices and systems.

In fact the latest buzz is a start-up that offers cloud-based apps in HTML5 on mobile devices in a similar view setup to native apps, alongside the native apps themselves.

Check out this post on the differences between web and native apps, and the benefits of each to see why this is an interesting development.

With Firefox also pioneering their HTML5-based operating system for mobile devices, there’s never been a better time to use the format.

HTML5 is made for mobile and mobile for HTML5. It’s a match made in web-heaven.

2/ Video and Audio

Flash is dead. Well, maybe not dead but not what it once was. You can now get your videos and audio to fit right into the code which makes life 10 times easier.

Why would you ever want to go back to <embed> and <object> tags when you can just stick in a <video src=”url”/> and be done with it? You wouldn’t. Simple.

3/ Clean Code

Every developer has that tendency to want everything neat and in its place. HTML5 is so much cleaner and more accessible than previous versions and so it appeases that neurosis that we all have (you know you’ve got it).

It’s also more accessible for the user because cleaner code means easier adjustments which means a more user-responsive site.

4/ Faster

HTML5 is fast and not just because the code is simpler and more accessible. It’s also because it provides developers with a reason not to focus on old browsers and just get on with making the best user experiences possible on the new ones.

HTML5 working together with the latest browsers is just the way the world is – you can accept it and move on or reject it and get left behind. It’s up to you.

5/ Making the impossible, possible

HTML5 lets you do things that you could never have dreamed of before. You can create expert visual effects without the need for Flash (okay so this is CSS3 but the two go hand in hand), you can create sites and apps together. You have a freedom previously not experienced to do almost anything as you wish.

Final Thought

HTML5 is here to stay whether or not Mr. Zuckerberg accepts it. The question is, will you get on board or are you happy being left behind?