Why is this page so boring? The short answer: Because it can be.
I firmly believe that form serves function. That a Web site should load as quickly on as many platforms as possible. Tools like Flash, Java and streaming video certainly have their place, and I use them when appropriate, but with two fundamental questions: Why am I using this format? Does it add value for the user?
Far too often, the answers are "because I can" and "no," respectively. I cannot count the number of sites I visit loaded down with whiz-bang technology, blinking lights and loud noises that do nothing but get in the way of usability and access to information.
In Elements of style, the Bible of English composition, William Strunk writes, "A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts." I apply the same principle to code.
I believe in pages that load fast and load everywhere. An elegant, universal page uses standards-compliant code, and is usable on screen readers for the blind, cell phones, older computers, small monitors and game consoles.