Normal font size?

it seems its very small

[rfung]

What is the normal font size these days on the web?

MSN front page seems to run size 8pt!...

WW seems to run a mix between size 12 and smaller sized 8pt too

[tedster]

Almost as an aside, I want to mention that "pt" is not the appropriate unit for monitor rendering. Point is a print measure and anyone using it for their screen css is a bit off base.

I agree that "normal" is too small in many cases today, and has been for quite some time. The teensy font phenomenon is being dictated by the personal tastes of the graphic designer rather than the usability requirements of the audience.

If you want to defend against it in your browsing, you can use a browser such as Opera which has a fantastically useful "zoom" function built right in that no designer can circumvent.

You can also create your own user stylesheet and have it bypass the one the website serves up.