cursed css

Before I start delving into the more serious web matters again, it's time for one last lightweight article. One that I've been meaning to write for a while now, and where I'm especially interested in your input. This article is based on a running gag we have here at work, so let's take a look at how we css people behave ourselves when we are writing css code.

a cursed place

We all know it, writing css can be a real bitch. When deadlines are nearing, last-minute changes are proposed, Firebug is acting up again and IE6 still needs to be checked, it's hard to remain calm. Frustration is never far away and the smallest thing might set you off.

Of course, everyone deals with stress in his own way, but apparently there's one obvious similarity between the people here at work when these situations arise. When browsers are acting up and the last drop has fallen one hour before, we all start cursing. Pretty loud too, and with very little shame and no signs of censorship. Even to the point where it became an actual running gag at the office. Whenever someone is agitated or curses, you can be sure someone will react with "writing css huh".

Now, it's probably not all that strange. css is a serious mess and the way browsers implement (or ignore) the css rules is pretty much impossible to comprehend when you've never worked with it before. If there's any profession that calls for a loud curse once in a while, it sure is writing css. On the other hand, it often surprises me how people can lose themselves in these bugs and hick-ups, to the point of cursing out loud in a room full of colleagues.

So I'm wondering, is this just us, or is this normal behavior for people working with css? Have you ever cursed out loud in front of others when your browser chokes on a piece of css? If not, how do you stay calm in situations where stress and css bugs meet?

Please answer honestly, but remain polite!