Do you know HTML?

Today my son and I were doing one thing and my ex was doing her own thing at another table. While I was away from my laptop keyboard for a moment, my young son (from memory, just observing me), launched KompoZer an open source web building tool, like a Dreamweaver Lite and started building a web page. He wanted to spice it up so he launched Word and searched for clipart, then dragged it from Word to KompoZer.

He wanted some words to be big, bigger than Header 1, so he asked. Hmm, well, that's not a standard feature, we'll just edit the source HTML. He watched and read along with me the HTML source code that was generated by KompoZer. Rather than old style (pre XHTML) coding, I used a CSS style tag. Last time I showed him a simple JavaScript, I haven't shown him the more complicated version I wrote to cope with Microsoft's attempt to break javascript.

I showed him the customized iGoogle home page I set up for him, with Nasa photos and his favorite comics. I started to show him a Google Site where you can use their Web builder software since he can't install KompoZer on his Mom's or a library computer.

But here's the interesting part. My ex is looking at this job lead and it specifies that a "familiarity with HTML" is needed. She asks me, Do you know HTML? Duh, yeah, I thought. I responded, Yes and as a matter of fact, our son is getting familiar with it too.

So maybe he'll help her with that, just like he helps her with other computer questions.

She seems to be letting up a little on her technical phobia. Maybe she thought about it a bit and realized that the web site we set up presents no danger. Certainly not that she took my word, she probably consulted a bunch of non-technial friends who couldn't see what her fuss was about.

Actually her phobias aren't limited to technology. She woried when my son watched me use power tools or did any kind of work around the house. It didn't matter that I taught him saftey (wear eye protection) and the dangers of power tools and that he couldn't use them at his age. I actually spent time in court over that. Have any of you been called into court because your child saw you use a powertool? Sound crazy? Because it is?

Well he apparently learned a few things. When the handle fell off her briefcase, my son said no problem and repaired it for her. Guess he's getting to be a little handy man.

She should be happy I spend time teaching my son how to be a boy so he can help her with her problems. Maybe someday she'll admit the obvious. I'm not holding my breath, it will take a long time. It took her 4 years to finally admit that lawyers had ripped us off, but she still didn't learn her lesson on that one either. Some people are just...