The default template for HTML5 has the IE shim commented as

<!--[if IE]>

but sources now have this as

<!--[if lt IE 9]>

given that IE 9 supports the new HTML5 semantic tags the shim deals with (article, aside, details, etc.) by default (as far as I can learn). Would this be helpful? I've edited my template.

<!--[if lt IE 9]> means that anything that is older than IE9. So it is saying if you are older then IE9 so IE8765 use this.

<!--[if IE]> Still works as a proper conditional comment. Because it is saying IF you are IE then follow this.

SirAge, thank you. That's my understanding--just that running the shim might be a little unneeded extra work and loading time for visitors to my site using IE 9.

Robert, about using hsl() and hsla() in CSS3, I'd caution that IE8 does not recognize them. Instead, it ignores them and you get whatever the default is, generally black text, white background, and the blue, purple, and red link states. I know this, because while playing with hsl() and hsla(), thinking how truly useful they are for a designer who knows something about color theory, I was dumb enough to set up a stylesheet using a mix of rgb() and hsl(). Imagine my surprise when proofing showed the rgb() or #rrggbb, but none of the hsl(). At first, I didn't know for sure what was causing it, but fortunately, I'd written up a table with the color definitions as an HTML5 page too, so it became very clear what was going on.

However, the following do recognize hsl()/hsla() just fine: IE9, FF9, FF10, Safari 5, Safari Mobile (iOS) 5, and (I presume) current Chrome and Opera.

That said, yes, hsl() is *very* useful in seeing what colors are related to each other. You can tell right away some idea of what the color will be.

IE8 doesn't understand the alpha channel opacity values either: rgba() and hsla() don't appear to be recognized.

About the HTML5 shim or hack:

Yes, it's still needed for IE9, as far as I can tell, both for the HTML5 elements and for the CSS3 to style those elements. The conditional shim/hack is definitely needed for IE8, and I think also for IE9.

The latest I've seen says IE10 should support more of CSS3, with the notable question of gradients. What I've seen is that IE10 will either support the new proposed gradient syntax, or else it will not, out of a preference by IE for using SVG gradients instead...thus (again) not accepting / supporting standards.

I remember how much "fun" that was with NN4, and look where Netscape Navigator is today: defunct. But thank goodness for other browsers. Who knows, maybe eventually, IE will see the light.

Ben, thank you for that. It might still be useful to be able to enter/play with HSL values in the color schemer that could ultimately go into a style sheet as hex.

I may revert if IE in the template as well, to be safe.

Yes, HSL would be really useful there. So would the HSB/HSV color model Adobe uses, which isn't the same as the web HSL color model. Macromedia Freehand seems to have used the same or very similar to the web HSL model.

I'm unclear; does IE9 support the new HTML5 elements without the HTML5 shim (snippet)?

Most of them yes. HTML5 and CSS3 are still in development and will not be completed until sometime in 2014. "If the Earth lasts that long".