Strict or Transitional?
It's been a while since I did a commercial site (but if you need some skilled HTML work done... let me know!), so I can only comment about the work I'm putting into my personal site. It's beginning its third incarnation, and this time I'm making sure it validates as HTML 4.01 strict.
Why go to the trouble of doing that? Well, for one, I like the idea of having the style and content separate. If I want to change a color, I can take care of it site-wide in just one CSS file. Yes, this is possible with transitional, but strict makes it more complete.
Another point is accessibility. I'm not required by law (as US Government sites are) to meet Section 508 accessibility standards for handicapped individuals, but I like the idea that I'm not shutting anyone out. Primarily my personal site contains a lot of genealogical information. I've been contacted by many distant cousins who found their way to my site via Google or some other type of search. Several of these people are in their 70s, and I'm sure their eyesight isn't what it used to be. (I'm just 38 and I know mine isn't!) I fiind it easier to meet accessibility guidelines with strict HTML.
Currently, most of the browsers are very forgiving when it comes to HTML tags. If there's an improperly nested tag or two, they still render the text at least readable. What happens when (or if) the latest browsers don't like the non-standard code? Is that the time to learn to code HTML strict? I'd prefer to have my site up to specs before that happens.
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