The Story Of the Stubborn Australian

and

Crap HTML Books!

This site concerns itself with a libellous, arrogant man who thought he could say what he wished whenever he wished and is presented by Mike Hayes
IT Professional For 40 Years

Please allow me introduce myself.

My name is Mike Hayes. I have lived in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, since 1968. I am 67 and I retired in 1997 from running one of the most successful software bureaus in Holland.

This website concerns itself with the argument I had with a certain Mt Stephen Chapman about one of my products. The dispute might have been forgotten was it not for fact that Chapman decided to publish a book which handles the same subject that my book covered. I was not impressed by his book at all (even though it only cost $5 it's waste of good money!).
The first section of this page covers the correspondence we exchanged. Then I compare the contents of our books and then I review his book. So let's get started.

Once Upon A Time .....

To pass the time I got into the internet doing a bit of this and a bit of that. My old first love of programming came back and I was enjoying myself.

Many of the offers on the web for people, newbies, wanting to start coding their own sites in HTML were, I thought, a disaster. Lots of good stuff but nowhere could I find an easy-to-read document for we newbies.

That’s when I decided to contribute and wrote The HTML Book. This product has now been extended to become The Complete HTML Course Package, complete with many tutorial and instructional videos. (Shortly I’ll be adding another element, that of CSS.) The title is the clue to the content, it’s HTML, not CSS, not PHP, not website design no, HTML.

Following this I published some articles on different aspects of HTML and then bundled them as a mini-HTML course which I gave away to optin signees. With this free product a person could have a basic site up and running in no time. Which I garanteed.

I offered this HTML Mini-Course on Surefirewealth.com, (a great site by the way), as a free download-gift to people who signed up to my list.

Then Mr Stephen Chapman of felgall.com decided to review my gift and that’s when the story really begins, January 2009.

Chapman’s Review

The first thing I'd recommend the author of this do is to learn HTML before writing about it. The e-book is so full of outdated garbage there is next to no HTML in it. Anyone following the instructions in this e-book will need to unlearn a lot when they decide that they really do need to know HTML. Don't waste your time on this e-book - get a proper book on HTML instead.

Stephen Chapman

Needless to say I was not only shocked but pissed off which I tried to convey in my
response to Mr Chapman.

My Response

Chapman,

I would like to call you to order. Your review of my HTML ebook on SFW.com was rude and full of untruths.

What I'd suggest is that you go back to your libellous review and explain to the readers why you say what you do or is the opinion of the Guru enough motivation?

You present yourself as a professional but I doubt you are. When I was in business a golden rule was never knock the competition, it's weak and bad mannered.

Your sites, mediocre to say least, are not shining examples of modern-day HTML, although one can see the <LI> tag put to lots of good use.

So to conclude, please withdraw your comments or motivate them.

Mike Hayes
IT Professional
PS You really should read my book properly. It will help you avoid messy code like this:
(And my PS consisted of screenshots of the HTML which Chapman had written.)

Screenshot of HTML number 1
Screenshot of HTML number 2
Screenshot of HTML number 3

As you can see it’s a mess, what we real programmers used to call spaghetti!

Here’re the three screenshots put together to give you a better idea. The coding continues to the right by one or two more pages. Impressive!

Screenshot of HTML number 1

Just had a look and it would appear Chapman did the right thing and recoded but it's still a mess!
And to compare visit my site here and with IE "View Source" and with FireFox right-click on the screen and select view source code. I think you'll agree that mine is readable and, important, maintainable.

Chapman

When I find time I fully intend to fix the HTML on my site by getting rid of the outdated align="center" calls, the inline styles that should really be in the CSS and the in line JavaScript that should really be in the external file. The problem is that the site was first created 10 years ago before the current correct way of writing HTML became available and where those were the only ways to do those things and I haven't found the time to fix them since. All of the <li> tags are correct usage since navigation lists are lists and therefore belong in list tags.

Your e-book even includes such tags as <center> and <font> that were obsolete even 10 years ago when I started creating my site and so I never used them in the first place since they had already been replaced with better ways of doing it back then.

Your e-book provides appropriate HTML for the mid-1990s but a large part of what you describe had become obsolete by 2000. Some reading on Semantic HTML and Cascading Style Sheets should bring you out of the 20th Century into the 21st.

regards,

Stephen Chapman
Director
Felgall Pty Ltd

Oh, no time in 10 years to fix it! Two tags wrong in my e-book? No answers to my questions though!

Me Again

I still manage to use, as you call it, "obsolete" tags and, even though I say it myself, my sites look ok and are, as far as structure and coding are concerned, readable and maintainable even though, like yours, they're years old. I could agree though that some tags, etc., could be referred to as "obsolescent", more accurate than "obsolete".

I think even you should be able to agree that for someone starting from scratch who is thinking of starting a site for his shop of cricket club, my book gives the tools to get a site up-and-running? My premium course package is even more complete and very satisfactory according to customers.

But, I digress, do you plant to "adjust" your inaccurate review of my book or not. The differences between your negative and unmotivated public attack and this rather mild, private "rebuke" are dramatic! And, by the way, your comment on CSS bringing me into the 21st Century!!!!! When I decide to (attempt) to instruct people on CSS I'll write a book on the subject. In the meantime I'm just trying to help starters.

Again, please adjust your review to reflect the reality or withdraw it. There's no shame in admitting you're wrong.

Mike Hayes.

Me Yet Again

Chapman,

Must I assume you are not going to answer my last mail with an appropriate correction?

Is this how the average Australian "business-man" works. Make false statements about a colleague then play dumb? Or is it the self-styled "guru", in his ivory tower, who, after making spurious claims about a fellow web business, decides that silence is the best defence?

Your so-called "review" has damaged and is damaging my reputation and that of my product so I call upon you to correct or withdraw!

I shall refrain from my further actions until I receive a (rapid) response from you.

Mike Hayes

Chapman

Your e-book isn't the only one on HTML that is garbage. Most of the ones that I have found in connection with internet marketing are all the same. I have seen so many like that I have over the past few days used my spare time to half write an e-book of my own for beginners on how to write HTML properly.

I write quite a lot of reviews of various books and computer products and never change them just because the author doesn't like what I said.

regards,

Stephen Chapman
Director
Felgall Pty Ltd

Aha! So we’re all garbage writers! But his book will be better, much better! Such modesty!

Me Again

Hey Chapman,

You are missing the point entirely. Pourquoi tu n'ecoute pas!!

The reason I don't like your review is not because it's negative but because it contains statements that are not true! You think it's garbage! No problem but motivate it. You say it doesn't contain HTML! Then you haven't read the f*****g book otherwise motivate your comments.! I don't mind criticism, criticism can help to contribute to an improved product but it must be motivated criticism not a couple of vague, negative statements.

Your problem is, you open your big mouth and then refuse to discuss it. Or are you lost for words. The expression "All Mouth And Trousers!" springs to mind.

I just read your August 2007 anti-HTML books tirade, my goodness you're a right, little fundamentalist aren't you. I can't wait for your HTML book to be published (if ever), no doubt an immediate smash success.

Have a happy life.

Mike Hayes
40 Years an IT Professional


PS This situation is too good to keep under wraps. I'm putting the email exchange in the review area of my product on SWF and be bulking up my blogs and sites with it. When the e-book is ready I'll send you a complimentary copy.

Chapman

I have read your e-book - I wouldn't have written the review otherwise as all my book reviews are based on my having read the entire book. Your e-book is filled with references to <CENTER> and <FONT> and other tags which were deprecated from HTML about 10 years ago (which means browsers still support them so as not to break old pages but they shouldn't be used in writing new pages).

Just remember that the content of emails is subject to copyright and that I do not give you permission to publish my side of this discussion.

regards,

Stephen Chapman
Director
Felgall Pty Ltd

What’s this, shy about telling the world what he thinks? Or realising that the defence of his hacking review of my little, free gift hasn’t yet been explained?

I must admit by now I’m feeling a bit Monty Python’ish!

Me Again

You're a determined little Aussie aren't you just?

Copyright? Permission? Are you embarrassed by the content of the mails you sent? Does the content of your mails not reflect your review in a way you'd like it to?
Come, come now lad; let the world read the words of 'n expert. The publicity will work wonders for your already glittering status.

Adieu

Mike Hayes
40 Years an IT Professional


PS If your cricket players are as determined as you they might just win the Ashes! On the other hand, if they're as stubborn as you they might just not! .

At my request Surefirewealth.com removed Chapman’s libellous review without a problem which, even though they haven’t commented, proves something.

At least I am willing to motivate any criticism I may have of something or someone and, very important, I am willing to review my criticism and, if need be, adjust it.

So why revitalize the subject? This is an email I got from Champman on June 3rd which got my blood boiling again.

So I'm having a bit of fun. They say revenge is sweet, this isn't revenge. The man insulted me and my book and all other HTML book authors without giving any founded criticism - excuse me but calling a book crap is not criticism.
Anyway, Chapman's long awaited book arrived and I must say - it is crap! If you want to get started with HTML do not, I repeat, do not buy this book. You don't have to buy mine but do not buy Chapman's book. I go into detail later.

A couple of comparisons before going into some details

I was of the opinion that graphics play a large role in indicating the quality of the product. Whether that's true or not I leave up to you. But I do think it indicates how much time on presentation.

At the risk of being accused of immodesty, I think my cover is the better.

And now the contents.

Chapman's Book

My Book
The Price? $5 $27
Pages 30 105
Chapter 1 Introduction To HTML
3 pages 		Introduction to the book
2 pages
Chapter 2 Page Structuur - Headings
1 page 		Technical Things and Testing
6 pages
Chapter 3 Adding Text
1/2 a page 		Your First HTML Document
9 pages
Chapter 4 Adding Images
1 1/2 pages 		Lists
5 pages
Chapter 5 Links
1 page 		Links
9 pages
Chapter 6 Navigation Links
1 page 		Images
24 pages
Chapter 7 Other Lists
1 page 		Tables I
11 pages
Chapter 8 Tabular Data
2 pages 		Tables II
7 pages
Chapter 9 Forms
5 pages 		Forms
16 pages
Chapter 10 Other Objects
1 page 		Be Accurate
5 pages
Rest Attaching a Style Sheet,
Where to From Here,
Chapman sales banners
3 pages 		None
Appendix HTML Reference
3 pages 		Tags, Attributes and Color chart
6 pages
Full color
Illustrationss 		None More than 70
Video Tutorials None Eight
Exercises None Seven
Usable Copy & Paste Coding No Lots

Mike Hayes' Opinion Over Aspects of
Stephen Chapman's
Introduction To Modern HTML

Preamble

The comment about some "HTML being appropriate for web pages written in 1996" is correct. This doesn't make the HTML any less valid. Those web pages are still running today. As did his pages for 10 years.

He calls the chapters of his book "Tutorials". Half a page of text with a snippet of HTML I do not consider to be a "Tutorial".

Introduction To HTML

Interesting stuff but not written for a starter. Here's an example:



Duuh! See what I mean?

Page Structuur - Headings

A page about headings 1, 2, 3 and 4. Waste of paper.

Adding Text

Half a page with not really much information, minimal.

Adding Images

Tells you what you need to know. No examples.

Links

Not really clear, much too summary. (Spelling error. Tut! Tut!)

Navigation Links

Same problem as with the Introduction. Impenetrable text!

Other Lists

Again impenetrable text which even for someone with some experience will be a problem to understand. One example of code for one of the three list sorts mentioned but no explanation as to what it all means.

Tabular Data

Lots of theoretical explanations (again) and (again) no illustrations.

Forms

At last Chapman gives the impression that he knows what he's talking about. Quite a few snippets of code but no examples.

The Rest

I'm out of words for this sad example of a "book". Some more blurb can be found, a page of sales banners for Chapman's services and a list of HTML References which someone wishing to learn HTML would find mysterious.

Conclusion

Keep your $5 in your pocket. It would appear that our HTML guru has been so hasty to be victorious in the HTML book market, wanted so much to kick the "crap" out of the market, was so sure of his own "talent", that he didn't really bother. Proving a point somehow.

If you'd like to comment on the content of this website or on HTML things in general please visit the Mike Hayes Support Department

P.S.

The funny thing about this is that Chapman got me on the road to CSS and all my new sites, this one, NicheMonopoly.com and the product offered on that site are all styled with remote .css files. Thanks Chapman.

Contact Mike Hayes.