So I'm making my own web site - a lot different than the class room environment and when while running in .NET I realized that it was using IE. Well I normally like Firefox (sorry Microsoft...), so I decided to run my site in Firefox (in IE it looks perfectly how I want it) it looks all funky. Does this mean I have to code for Firefox also??????? If so how do you do that? I though that the CSS and padding, etc. would be universal. Advice would be greatly appreciated!!!! Thanks!

Welcome to the group!  Most page designers just work out something that is acceptable accross a variety of browsers.

http://www.quirksmode.org/css/contents.html 

Welcome to the wonderful world of cross browser web development. As a new member, and soon to be insane web style programmer, you will enjoy the benefite of constantly testing and checking your styles fro functional mishaps in a wide variety of browsers. Please remember to keep your powerbars, a large glass of water, and your headache medicin of choice handy. As you will need all three.

=]

Anyhow joking aside, there are a number of places to look for information on this long standing issue of IE and FFs different takes on the W3C web standards for CSS. Now as a point of fact about what you are coding if this is a public facing website then you have alot of work to maintain or even consistently achieve browser compatability.

Another thing that will bake your noodle is that IE6 and IE7 also don't do the same things. And well IE8 yup you got it again different. FF is actually more strictly compliant with the W3C specifications for CSS. But it's all very much as to how you read the specifications.

Anyhow here is one of the many valuable resources available. Quirks BLog. I would google for the rest.

And all joking aside. Your in for a challenge it has taken me a number of years and alot of projects to be able to effectively make a cross browser compatible site, and there will still always be hickups that will be missed or found. So good luck.

Thanks!!! This may sound stupid but I'm not sure how to read that page (link), could you pick one as an example and explain? Thanks again!!!

Thanks! It is going to be a publicly open site. Would it be tacky to force the browser (user) to open it up in one style of browser like MS does when going to their download/update page?

Not if you don't mind not having people go to your site it wouldn't be.