This is all Microsoft’s fault. IE 3 had terrible implementation of CSS and could only support absolute font units like point (pt). Legions of web designers quickly began cranking out zillions of pages that were, and sometimes still are, damn near impossible to read. Here it is nearly 5 years later and the Web is still suffering from this.
I promise never to do that here. Geezers like me need things to be ergonomic, right?