> There are more classes and extraneous tags than needed, and in a real world situation, it's more likely that it would be much leaner.
and this
> <!--extra div for flexibility - this list will probably be the trickiest spot you'll deal with --> <div id="linkList2">
and this
> <!-- These extra divs/spans may be used as catch-alls to add extra imagery. --> <!-- Add a background image to each and use width and height to control sizing, place with absolute positioning --> <div id="extraDiv1"><span></span></div><div id="extraDiv2"><span></span></div><div id="extraDiv3"><span></span></div> <div id="extraDiv4"><span></span></div><div id="extraDiv5"><span></span></div><div id="extraDiv6"><span></span></div>
The HTML guy could not be "nearly clueless" about the designer's needs if CSS Zen Garden's flexibility is what you're looking for.