Re: [WSG] Site check please - launched it finally!
Hugh, thanks for your suggestions. I'm sorry that in the rush yesterday I didn't thank you for your input. I've implemented all of your suggestions and I have a better site now as a result. Thanks I notice that on one page now that the fonts are smaller, the flow of text has resulted in some orphan text alongside an image, so I'll have to change the standard image width a bit i think. But broadly speaking, the site is something I am quite pleased with.I should also say that the radio community is far more impressed than this group. I have had a number of gushing testimonials from webmasters at other stations.For the record, I've racked up 67 hours on this project so far, and maybe another 60 or so to go before I'll call it complete and in the maintenance only phase. In addition to the CSS, i've written all my own code. It's fully dynamic, with access going to be given to about 60 people to different parts of the site for different roles. Each can work on their own parts of the site without it appearing in public until it's ready and approved by someone with the right authority level. In addition we're going to be taking 2 web services feeds, and providing half a dozen to other sites.I'm really thrilled with how fast it loads even though it's hosted on a shared environment in the midwest of the USA.Anyway, thanks for everyone's help with this site (it's http://hawkradio.org.au if you're coming in late to the discussion) and I'm still interested in anyone's input about any aspect of the site, as long as it's polite.CheersMike KearAFP WebworksWindsor, NSW, Australia - Original Message From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]To: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Subject: Re: [WSG] Site check please - launched it finally!Date: 15/11/04 10:06Michael,Whoops, that was a typo. I should, of course, have written "76% or0.76em".I read somewhere (I'm sure someone on the list will remember where)that 76% works for all modern browsers better than 75%, because of arendering difference in one of the browsers.-Hugh> > 5) I'd suggest setting your "body" font size to 76% or 0.7em. It> looks>> just a little better at that size.>> It already is .7em, which is only half default size (49% of the total> pixels per character box of the default size). Thanks for your thoughts Felix. The size is already at 0.7em because> I> adopted the excellent suggestion of Hugh Todd and changed it.**The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfmfor some hints on posting to the list & getting help** Message sent using UebiMiau 2.7.2 ** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help **
[WSG] CSS for a map?
Has anyone used CSS to do colour changes over areas in a map? Is that a practical way to do it? I have a prospective client who wants a map of a subdivision he's doing and wants to have the housing blocks coloured differently depending on sale status, availability etc, and to change colour when you roll the mouse over it. I was thinking of setting the inital state of the area based on a dynamic value pulled from the database (i.e sold, available, holding deposit) and with hover state for the mouseover. Is it a practical thing to be thinking about CSS for this, given that the areas aren't rectangular?Or can anyone think of a better way to do it? (My intial thought was to use flash but we've crossed that idea off for a number of reasons)CheersMike KearAFP WebworksWindsor, NSW, Australia . Message sent using UebiMiau 2.7.2 ** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ Proud presenters of Web Essentials 04 http://we04.com/ Web standards, accessibility, inspiration, knowledge To be held in Sydney, September 30 and October 1, 2004 See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help **
RE: [WSG] Design Philosophy
It seems to me that too many people confuse "Design" with "artwork" or "colours, pictures the pretty stuff".But design goes a lot further than that. Its to do with "DOES IT DO THE JOB IT'S FOR?". A designer has to take account of the medium hes designing for. A designer for a magazine has to think in terms or 4 or 6 colour printing presses, A4 paper size, space for headers, page numbers, gutter margins, all that stuff. A designer of home electrical appliances has to think in terms of safety, fashion look, easy use for all people including children, people with disabilities, colours dictated by the capabilities of the manufacturing factory regarding powder coating or enamel, or plastics etc etc. A designer of warships has to think in terms of huge bits of steel, predominantly grey/green colouring, allowing for battle damage but still keeping the ship functioning etc. And a web designer doesn't have those parameters to work with. A web designer has to design with colours that may vary from user to user, font sizes (and therefore page layout) that differs from user to user, little control over the browser the user's going to use now or in the future, varying font sets. If a designer comes up with a pretty-looking design that requires every browser to produce exactly the same look on a screen, and doesn't have a way (i.e. CSS hacks etc) to make that happen in every browser, then it's a poor design, no matter what it looks like because it's too inflexible. I'd suggest that such a designer is probably still thinking like a magazine designer and isnt thinking in the medium he's working with yet. One of the parameters of the medium a web designer has to learn to work with is that the output is FLEXIBLE. If the design isn't flexible it's a poor design. As an example (obvious perhaps but it will illustrate the point): If the design requires a particular font to be installed then it's a poor design. The design should allow for a variety of fonts. A good design will look different, but acceptable if the font displayed is one of a range of fonts. Similarly so with all the other parameters. If the design requires a colour to be rendered in precisely the same way on all users' machines, it's a poor design, because you have no control over users' monitors, and how well they're maintained. Designers who think they just handle the way a site looks aren't doing all their job. It's conceivable you could have a gorgeous looking site that is poorly designed because it doesn't work properly in the browsers of the target market. Or it looks fantastic but its difficult to find the information you're looking for. It's also conceivable that a very well designed site might be very boring to look at but functions very well indeed. In other words, if you're a "web designer", and you think that is roughly the same as "graphic artist" you're a long way short of the mark. Cheers Mike Kear Windsor, NSW, Australia AFP Webworks http://afpwebworks.com Message sent using UebiMiau 2.7.2 * The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help *
RE: [WSG] Launched my third xhtml site!!
Thanks Hugh, Cameron, Taco for your thoughts on my site. I really appreciate your going to the trouble to look for me and let me know what you think. This is something that normally happens across a desk in a bigger shop, but since I'm a one-man-band, I have no one but the client to ask about these things. A lot of the points you raise are a result of the client wishes. For example his son made the large front page graphic that takes up so much space. I don't know how to tell him we ought to lose it, so I just figured I'd work around it. I think it will go on the next site review in a month or so. The other things can be altered when I next work on the site after it's had a while running live. The client will have things he wants changed and I'll do them then. Thanks again for your thoughts.This group is extremely valuable to me as a resource for lots of things, not just improving my standards compliance. Cheers Mike Kear Windsor, NSW, Australia AFP Webworks http://afpwebworks.com Message sent using UebiMiau 2.7.2 * The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help *
[WSG] Launched my third xhtml site!!
I'm really thrilled to have launched my third xhtml site today. This one's been nearly a year in the making, and it used old table-based layout techniques at the start, and Ive had to build my own chopping cart, content management system, and it's on its third go-round now even as it's opened. But I'm chuffed, that I've managed to build the site without having to compromise the CSS and xhtml. The underlying ColdFusion code is less than half the size of the first version I build nearly a year ago, since I've learned from this group as I've gone along. I'm now creating pages and applications in ColdFusion in a fraction of the time it used to take me, and I know I can make mods quickly and far more easily than I would have in the first version of this site. Now if only I can get the client to update the news page from the gobbledegook I put there in the demo version of the site. I'd be interested in your thoughts, but please if you're going to play with the shopping cart, please dont actually send off your order I don't want my client getting a heart attack with the excitement of getting a whole bunch of orders on his first day, only to find they're not real orders. The site is at http://auslegs.com.au Cheers Mike Kear AFP Webworks Windsor, NSW, Australia http://afpwebworks.com Message sent using UebiMiau 2.7.2 * The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help *
RE: [WSG] target="_blank" substitute
Well isnt that what makes life's rich tapestry so interesting. We make choices, and we live with whatever flows from that, good or bad. As they say in the home of my favourite kind of music - bluegrass - "you go to your church and i'll go to mine, and we'll walk along together."What counts is whether or not the site succeeds at what it's supposed to do. If it's supposed to sell things, and it does, terrific. If it's supposed to inform, and it does, terrific. If it's supposed to support software, and it does, excellent! If not, BOO!!CheersMike KearAFP WebworksWindsor, NSW, Australia - Original Message From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]To: "wsg" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Subject: RE: [WSG] target="_blank" substituteDate: 19/04/04 12:12Hi Michael> Navigating anywhere in Microsoft's site is a nightmare. You go down a maze> of links until its almost impossible to work your way back where you came> from.Is this an argument against the usefulness of the back button (or thenavigation metaphor entirely)? If Microsoft chose to open links in newwindows you'd end up with a mess of windows, rather than a messyhistory. This is not an improvement.Microsoft's site is poorly designed. How is this relevant to theargument? :)> In my case, I get someone into my site, and I don't want to see them heading> off again by just clicking on a tool my site gives them to leave.Not only are you working against the navigation metaphor, you're workingagainst yourself when you force links to open in new windows. Example:1. User finds your site, browses around it, finds external links.2. User clicks link, fresh new window is opened.3. User is done with your site, and closes your window.4. User browses site opened in new window, realises there was somethingelse they wanted to use your site for.5. Uh oh. Is your site so great that they're going to do the work to getback to it (by Googling for it, or braving their history), or are theyjust going to go some place else?If a user really wants to open a new window for a link, she can:right-click, Open in New Window, or middle-click if it's available. Ifyou're forcing new windows to open when links are clicked, there is noway for the user to choose to open the links in the original window andmaintain the metaphor. You are taking a meaningful choice away from theuser.Granted, there are pros for the behaviour that you're arguing for -- butthere are so many cons!Cheers,--Andrew Taumoefolau*The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfmfor some hints on posting to the list & getting help* Message sent using UebiMiau 2.7.2 * The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help *
RE: [WSG] OT: damn I feel old
Nope, I might be in the running - I'll be 54 in March. I'm still proving you can teach an old dog new tricks. But I dont know what will happen when I get old. Cheers Mike Kear AFP Webworks Up to new tricks at http://afpwebworks.com/beach/ - Original Message From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [WSG] OT: damn I feel old Date: 19/01/04 14:06 I'm definitely not the oldest here at 41! PeterF _ From: Brendan Smith [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, January 19, 2004 6:02 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [WSG] OT: damn I feel old Awww heck - I don't mind. Well for as long as Pete F stays on the list anyhow ;) 31 - 32 in June. So, stop your whinin' Brendan _ From: Miles Tillinger [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Mon 19/01/04 4:12 PM To: Web Standards Group (E-mail) Subject: [WSG] OT: damn I feel old There is really no other way of finding this out other than posting to the list, so here goes some OT goodness: A couple of 'youngsters' posted today, one 17 (from Plone.org) and one 16, both must be pretty competent web designers from the links they've posted, especially Plone, i love what they do! Made me feel a bit long in the tooth at 27, so I started wondering how old you gurus are? Would be good to get an idea of where we sit demographically... p.s. if you don't want to post your age on the list, feel free to email me direct if you really want to be part of my little survey... Regards, Miles. * The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ * * The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ *
