A lot of well recognised web designers are currently venting their frustrations about web standards. Not frustrations about the standards themselves, quite the contrary, they’re some of the staunchest supporters of standards, they’re just sick of harping on about them.

Andrei chips in with his great summary with which I concur:

Generally speaking, standards are a means to apply pressure on corporations to behave in a manner that is beneficial to everyone, not just the shareholders of the corporation.

Like the world of ends says:

The Internet isn’t a thing. It’s an agreement.

This is how I like to think of standards: they are an agreement about the way to do things. If we adhere to them we will get along much better :)

To all of the standards advocates: keep it up, don’t weaken, the message is getting through, you are being heard, you are making a difference