>Then again, if *precise* formatting is vital to a specific presentaion of
>information, there *are* better tools than html ... and Adobe Acrobat, for
>one, also allows article threading, among other features.
The Problem is Acrobat generates very large files, especially with pictures.
We really need the otion to place HTML text somewhere on a page, not either
left or center. Or right.
This discussion began with the observation that many companies, with fast
links and nice monitors, are making very wide pages. Check out
http://www.alias.com/. It's at least 700 pixels.
This generates long lines of text, which are hard to read.
Having some control mechanism to organize text in columns makes for better
communication. A caption can be under a picture. Or next to it. Two or
three important items can share the header space. Things to be skimmed, as
in a newspaper, can be in narrow columns. Or linked footnotes can be on a
wide margin.
Ultimately, it is just a desire to improve the experience fo exploring
information on the Web.
Kit Blake