Richard said:
Many sites do not incorporate font size probably because the author does not
know that font size can be changed.
No, many sites _do_ incorporate font sizes precisely because the
author does not know that the font size can be changed. They see the
text in _their_ browser and think that it's too big, so they make it
smaller in their code instead of in their browser settings. Hence
making it too small for people who have their browser set up properly.
So not being specified, the font size defaults to the smallest available.
Total rubbish. If no font size is specified then it defaults to
whatever the user's default is. Which would very rarely be the
smallest available. Go to a page that doesn't specify font size (such
as my home page) and see if you can make it smaller (CTL+- in FF,
View>Text Size>Smaller in IE) I bet that you can.
Which means the user has to increase manually in order to read the site.
Usually because the author has set it too small, not because the
author hasn't set it.
If the user's browser has a default size that is too small for them
then they should change the default.
Whille 10pt fonts may be applicable to the print media, I generally prefer a
12pt or 14pt font, usually arial, which is more user friendly and easily
read.
Then set that in your browser configuration or user stylesheet.
Personally I would find 12pt or 14pt too large (12pt = 16px with the
standard settings on Windows and is the factory default), I use 14px
(10.5pt to you) as a default in Opera with an enforced minimum of 12px
(9pt).
Steve