I am a heavy user of absolute positioning. It is used, in particular, to build what could be referred to as consoles. One could use relative positioning for this, too, but with a good deal more work (or just different adaptive habits). I use relative, too, in a situation where I produce additional input areas on demand. Content is absolute, out block is relative. These, in turn, as a block can also be positioned absolutely. Less of a problem now, but it was the only way to make a page design consistent across platforms only a few years ago (IE, for example, was was a horror story). Real lesson: Don't listen too hard to others' opinions on the latest fashion in HTML development. Tables are/were frowned upon. Snobbery! Sure - you can do more with div's, but if you don't need that "more", life with tables is easier to design and easier to modify. So - you need to meet your design needs - but only make changes that are either essential or that you perceive will come back and bite your backside sometime in the future.
**Above all, you need predictability!
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Ravings en masse^
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein
"If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010