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So HN is all wrong, eh?

It has been argued here before that HTML is nothing more than "assembly" for the browser, and if it renders properly, why does it matter if the layout is done via nested tables or CSS?

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Looks like you missed most of the discussion: semantics, or machine-readable information, and accessibility matter enourmously on the web. At the end of that line of thought is just presenting a bitmap image, why bother with HTML at all? :)

First, semantics are not needed in many cases, like protected control panels. 2nd, semantics can be wrapping data within table cells.

The original problem with tables was using them together with spacers to create layout, not much other uses.

There's no inherent problem with tables, it is perfect for tabular layout. Data grids are tabular, most forms are tabular.

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