Around 2000, browser incompatibility was severe enough that “valid XHTML” and “valid CSS” badges signalled both politics and competence. A standards-compliant site made a claim about what the web ought to be. It also meant its maker had spent time dealing with Internet Explorer.
HTML5 later absorbed the useful parts of that movement. Browsers converged, standards compliance became ordinary infrastructure, and XHTML largely disappeared as the expected future of the web.
The Nu HTML Checker and CSS validator remain active. Modern sites tend to put syntax, accessibility, and link checks in continuous integration. The footer badges have mostly gone.
Those links remain in Film Initiative (2001–2003).
RSS and RDF belonged to the same visible infrastructure. Feed links often sat beside validation badges. The recovered Film Initiative feeds preserved titles, dates, authors, descriptions, and post identifiers after most corresponding pages had vanished.
The later Insecular (2012–2013) and Research Musings (2014) sites were hosted by WordPress. Their footers advertised the theme and publishing system instead of the validity of the markup.
Liminal Notes is built from Markdown and ordinary links. The build checks HTML structure, accessibility basics, and internal links. Its feed and sitemap remain exposed.
Film Initiative (2001–2003) → Insecular (2012–2013) → Research Musings (2014) · Museum