[axelerator]

There are bunch of good UX principles baked into HTML and CSS. Plus to become good at HTML and CSS you will be exposed to a lot of UX talk as well.

So one could argue it's really hard to get really good at HTML and CSS and not care about UX at all.

But yes, a fool with a tool is still a fool - if that's the point you're trying to make.

[FrustratedMonky]

Not directly making that point.

Just that a lot of programmers aren't necessarily known for their design aesthetic.

So you could 'not be a fool', and be very good at HTML/CSS, and yet not really understand or care about color, flow, layout.

But, to your point, surely they will absorb something in the process. But it is far from a given.

Isn't this the entire argument between Apple-Microsoft, Jobs-Gates?

Gates isn't a fool, neither are MS programmers, but they aren't known for good 'ux designs'

There are a lot more technology experts than good Design experts.