So, keep providing info that points the way to technically proficient beautiful design, and you’ll at least maintain your position of influence.

And the bits about politics and your family help make it less dry in the process, by the way.

Breathtaking.

When I first saw this site just about three weeks ago I was inspired.

I am rede(singing) as I learn with great pleasure. Please don’t lose your ability to inpire is all I ask.

Thank you.

You earned a great deal of respect among web designers world wide (web [sorry, couldn't resist]) with the work you have done in the past. This is what made your name known, and more than that, stand out. You wonder why people continue to recognize and mention you as such? Well, legacy, for one, but I think there’s a more important aspect to it… there is for me, at least.

Webdesign covers many different disciplines. To make a website work (or even more so, great) you need to properly address them all, or at least as much as possible. Visual design is one… backend technology is one.. CSS is both… sure, but that’s not the end of it. There are entities that are at least as important. One in particular (which can be considered the most important, I’d say) is content. Values of content, like writing style and integrity, are at least as important as the aesthetic value of the communicated visuals — especially in the longer run.

I think this is what you earn most credit for, today — whether you do write about CSS, or write about statistic reports of the women beat up per minute ratio in the States, or some random action by Carolyn: the writing has been thought through and has a certain intellectual value and level of integrety — a lot of integrety.

I think it’s not although but because you shy not to weigh in your personaly opinion, or write about things that take place on a very personal level, that people (I, for one) keep enjoying to read “your stuff.” It makes it easier to identify with the author, and that makes any future articles of said author less static, even when they’re technical reports.

So, my wish (slash advice) is: keep doing what you’re doing — it’s the combination of techinical writing and bits from the personal life of the author that keep your writing (not restricted to “Eric’s Thoughts”) interesting. (I wouldn’t mind to see some more collaberations with Dave Shea though — that’s some good stuff!)

P.S. I never considered you as much as a designer as I consider you a writer. The writer gnome from the design forest. :p

You sound as though you don’t consider yourself a designer. If you break it all down by it’s previous labels – this person is a graphics designer and this person does markup, etc., then by those terms you might not consider yourself a designer. But I disagree with that.

Through your efforts and those of several others, building web pages has become a mix of several disciplines. Web design is more than Photoshop now. Those of us who build with standards and CSS recognize that, today, “design” is mixture of our markup skills, graphic skills and creativity.

And to those of us who think this way, you are every bit a leading designer and an influence. Just keep doing what you’re doing, and more of it. The word “leading” is intentional.

If there was anything I would ask, it would be for you to link to and give your opinion on some of the new techniques out there as they happen, such as Shaun Inman’s Flash Replacement technique. These are important developments (IMHO) and it would be nice to know the viewpoint of an influntial CSS author such as yourself.

As said before, your contributions to educating everyone about all things CSS through your books and articles is enough to earn you a permanent place in the top 20.
About the personal nature of your blog: it’s one of the things that keeps me coming back, and it’s one of the things that make all your publications so pleasant to read.
You’re just a big softie, and that’s what makes even an often rather dry subject as CSS so palatable.

I recently finished “More Eric…” and loved it front to back; the one real thing that I disliked about the book is that it was too thin! If you’d want to contribute anything CSS related it would be those wonderful “come-and-look-over-my-shoulder-to-see-how-it’s-done” exercises that we can learn so much of.

If you feel guilty about staying on the list and want to give back more (although you’ve earned a spot in the hall of fame here, you know), show us more of what the cutting edge of CSS is. Even if you don’t consider yourself a good designer, you’re opening doors for real designers and frustrated web authors everywhere.

Perhaps a little more insight on your radio show! (Still do it?)