title: Are ASP.NET MVC HTML Helpers overrated?
body: <p>It is quite possible that I may not have got the point, but I really can't figure out how ASP.NET MVC's HTML Helpers can help me. Here's a sample: -</p>
  
  <p>HTML:</p>
  
  <pre><code>&lt;a href="ActionName" target="_blank"&gt;Click Me&lt;/a&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>HTML Helper:</p>
  
  <pre><code>&lt;%= Html.ActionLink("Click me", "ActionName", null, new {target="blank"}) %&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>My eyes are reading HTML more easily, and it seems counter-intuitive to use the HTML Helpers. </p>
  
  <p>Look at the following arguments:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>A lot of people (even novices) know how to read HTML. The HTML Helper syntax can confuse easily.</li>
  <li>In many cases you need to do more typing writing an HTML 'helper', then you need to write the actual HTML.</li>
  <li>The HTML Helper is going to spew real HTML anyway, so why not write HTML directly?</li>
  <li>Writing HTML gives you more control over the syntax, and the standards. You can make it conform to whatever HTML standard you want.</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Are there any special compelling reasons that I have not understood (since I am self-educated in MVC and there could be gaps) that should make me want to prefer HTML Helpers?</p>
  
  <p>Or are they just code noise?</p>