vetical aignment of the text.

[Roy A.]

Actually it is "paper". A type of paper that can be recycled on
demand.
A "font" size is measured in points. Not pixels.
Then why are we given the choice to use "points"?

Print. On screens, points is depended on OS settings (and user
settings on some OS).

Oh? Then what does 800x600 resolution refer to? Point size?

Screen pixels.

Pure gibberish. It's a roundabout way of saying, "We really don't know
either".
If I use, font-size:1.5em; how is this value computed?
I have been assuming that it is based on the user's choice if not
defined elsewhere.
So if the user has selected a 10pt font, oh my, he can't do that
because a "point" is irrelevant on a screen because a screen is not
paper, and I say display 1.5 em, then in effect, I have told the user
to see 15pt.

Which relates to the users OS settings.

But if I say display 15px, then it does not matter what font point the
user has chosen, he will see the same thing I see.

The user might not be able to read it.

Now tell me kind sir, when you select a font to use on your browser,
how does the browser define how the text will be displayed? In points
or pixels or....? It has to define it somehow.



Ah hah! And what is that size based upon? Points.

A default size chosen by browser or user. Witch relates to the font in
use.

Dude, I constantly have to change text size on most sites.
I have my browser font size set to like 14pt because I know many sites
just love small print. Even then, I find some that are way to small.

Authors can override default settings. Use an 'user style sheet'
instead. Then you can specify what is default (fallback) styles, and
what is so "!important" to you, that the author can't override it.

 

[Chris F.A. Johnson]

Actually it is "paper". A type of paper that can be recycled on
demand.

Paper has a fixed size. You have no idea what size or resolution a
viewer's browser window will be.

A "font" size is measured in points. Not pixels.
Then why are we given the choice to use "points"?

For printing to paper.

Oh? Then what does 800x600 resolution refer to? Point size?

The number of pixels on the screen. Which says nothing about the
physical size of the screen or about the size of the browser
window.

Pure gibberish. It's a roundabout way of saying, "We really don't know
either".

Correction: *You* don't know. Others have no problem with it.

If I use, font-size:1.5em; how is this value computed?

It is "the font size of the parent element". See above definition.

I have been assuming that it is based on the user's choice if not
defined elsewhere.

Why assume when the facts are readily available?

So if the user has selected a 10pt font, oh my, he can't do that
because a "point" is irrelevant on a screen because a screen is not
paper, and I say display 1.5 em, then in effect, I have told the user
to see 15pt.

But if I say display 15px, then it does not matter what font point the
user has chosen, he will see the same thing I see.

You don't know what he will see. For some people, on some
displays, 15px will be easily readable. For others, it will be to
small or too large.

Now tell me kind sir, when you select a font to use on your browser,
how does the browser define how the text will be displayed? In points
or pixels or....? It has to define it somehow.

In my browser, FF3, I select it in pixels. In a stylesheet, that
is what 100% or 1em refers to.

Ah hah! And what is that size based upon? Points.

NO!!!

It is based on whatever the browser bases it on. That is usually
pixels.

Dude, I constantly have to change text size on most sites.

That's because there are so many badly coded sites. I don't have
to change size, because I set a minimum font size in my browser.

I have my browser font size set to like 14pt because I know many sites
just love small print. Even then, I find some that are way to small.

That's why you shouldn't define the main font size.

My browser is set for a minimum font size of 18px. Anything
smaller is unreadable.