I have been following the debate to rejuvenate semantic markup by using the acronymn POSH
Jeremy Keith has commented on POSH and it looks like Molly has been persuaded by POSH. I try to ensure I do it but being honest it doesn’t always happen I am getting better So I advocate this 100%. Getting an acronym to help persuade people can only be good.

I must say in this last year I have refined loads semantically (but there is still work) , microformats and other nuggets have changed the way I code and accessibility and sites have definately improved

However when you read around there are a lot of instances where people are defining your coding(Markup/CSS whatever) through class name insistence, tagging preferences etc to the finite detail and I wonder if this could have a negative effect!

Are some people going to be turned of by the fact there are these standards?

With all the technologies we have to learn as professionals (HTML,CSS,JAVASCRIPT,PHP_ASP_CF or whatever,XML,XLST etc ) are some of us just going to forget?
Remembering everything is not practical and the lack of support within editors is weak.

So maybe it should be incorporated in the standard markup language (Stand up HTML 5) but as discussed within the working group this can mean problems with backwards compatibility, incorrect interpretation etc
However I worry because they(I am also a member so I should say we) are also spending time debating about whether to
re-introduce the font tag

I believe we need a semantically correct human and machine readable web and maybe this is a point to start

What about a series of standard prefixes as proposed by others but on a more basic level ?

Whilst working this morning I wrote this piece of javascript for unobtrusively changing a parent window location from a clickable map


function map()
{
if (!document.getElementsByTagName) return false;
if (!document.getElementById) return false;

var mapLinks = document.getElementsByTagName(”area”);
for (var i = 0; i < mapLinks.length; i++)
{

if(mapLinks[i].className==’getform’)
{

mapLinks[i].onclick=function()
{
var destination= this.getAttribute(’href’);

openform(destination);
return false;
}
}

}

}

function openform(destination)
{
this.opener.location.href=destination;
this.close();
return false;

}

But it just occurred to me is this, although unobstrusively written, obtrusive to control other windows? Is this accessible (would a screen reader be notified ?)
I think I need to check before I unleash this.

Technorati Tags: javascript, unobtrusive javascript, opening widows, accessibility

Technorati Tags: webdd, webDD, Web developers and desingers, events

I just noticed with the sidebar on top a browser window does not slide behind it docks to the sidebar.

This obviously reduces the screen real estate , question is should we consider this when designing websites?

vista, windows vista, web design

Technorati Tags: vista, windows vista, web design

Just looked at the schedule for webDD looks good, my schedule hopes to be

1. Microformats HTML to API
2. Doing it in style: creating beautiful sites, the web standards way
3. Quick and dirty Usability tests - one week, no budget, and no usability facility
4. Web Accessibility: What, Why, How, and Who Cares?
5. Unobtrusive Javascript with Rails

But I would like to do the end to end series by Scott Guthrie and the
Ruby On Rails for .NET Developers (even though I am not one) by Dave Verwer hence why I need a time turner (Harry Potter style) or even better a TARDIS (how cool would that be)

Anyway I guess from the blogs filming will be taking place (subject to successful applicants for the post) so I will just have to catch up with them later. I am no good at filming or photography but will ensure I have my (pretty krap I hasn’t to add) camera and camcorder with me so if they are totally desperate on the day will be there happy to step in.

Just thought of a solution for those missed morning sessions what about this for an idea the inspired GROK talks could include an off the cuff 10 min review of the highlights of morning sessions that you attended. Assuming connectivity I guess session reviews will get blogged pretty quickly and with the backnetwork in place if the speed of updates is like it was at d.construct last year you will probably be able to get your talk notes written for you. Anyone willing to volunteer to trade a talk one of the sessions I attend for one on my wishlist?

webDD, web developer events, webDD backnetwork,conferences

Technorati Tags: webDD, web developer events, webDD backnetwork, conferences

Sometimes I get a little reassurance when the big sites fail and I no longer feel inferior that I have to debug soo much !!!

The message I got from a search on flickr


var b1 = _ge('headersearchbutton1'); b1.parentNode.removeChild(b1); _ge('search_header_form_td').style.paddingBottom = '2px'; _ge('candy_search_button_bar').style.display = 'block'; _decorate(_ge('candy_search_button_bar'), 0, 1); var f = _ge('headersearchform'); if (f.q.value == 'Search everyone\'s photos') f.q.style.color = '#999'; f.q.onfocus = function() { if (this.value == 'Search everyone\'s photos') this.value = ''; this.style.color = '#222'; if (window.map) map._disableKeys = true; } f.q.onblur = function() { if (this.value != '') return; this.style.color = '#999'; this.value = 'Search everyone\'s photos'; if (window.map) map._disableKeys = false; } var _do_header_search = function(w, m, action, s) { var f = _ge('headersearchform'); if (f.q.value == 'Search everyone\'s photos') f.q.value = ''; f.q.value = f.q.value.trim(); // do location search if the location search window is open, or if w == 'location' if (w == 'location' || (_ge('loc_search_div') && _ge('loc_search_div').style.display != 'none')) { if (!_ge('loc_search_div')) { // create the location search crap! var div = document.createElement(’div’); div.id = ‘loc_search_div’; document.body.appendChild(div); var page_type = ’site’; F.decorate(div, F._loc_search_div).div_go_go_go(page_type); } try {_ge(’loc_search_div’).div_do_loc_search()} catch(err) {writeDebug(err)};return false; return; } f.w.value = w; f.m.value = (m) ? m : ”; f.s.value = (s) ? s : ”; 0


Also it is nice to see someone comments like me !!

Technorati Tags: flickr, javascript

Well just signed up for the WebDD conference on the 3rd of February.

Got the tip off from the Boagworld podcast and it looks quite good. Some of the speakers I haven’t heard of but it seems to be well supported.
Having sat next to Patrick Lauke at an Ajax Clearleft conference and seen him at dConstruct and heard and read his views on accessibility I am looking forward to hearing him speak with Bruce Lawson.

Another backnetwork too.. always get a few snippets from there.

It is just a shame that we never manage to get many of these sort of activities/events/conferences up north!!

Technorati Tags: webdd, dconstruct2006, web conferences, accessibility, web design, web development

Those that have visited this blog with IE6 I apologise.

I tried to implement a CSS 2.0 specific selector syntax that I came across because I am lazy but ending up breaking styles for IE6 users.

Am I boverred ?

Well yes actually becuase I wanted to use these selectors to implement a “highlight microformats on this page” stylesheet swticher based piece of code

I will keep trying look out for updates

and wanted to avoid applying classes to external links

a[href="http://"]


Unfortunately this broke the layout in IE and I did not conditionally comment it

Must try harder but a lesson learnt.

IE 7 has apparently added confusion I am trying to find out whether it has support for the following selectors.

* Child selectors (Ex: h1 > p)
* Adjacent selectors (Ex: h1 + p)
* Attribute selectors (Ex: h1[class=firstH1])
* The :first-child pseudo-class (Ex: h1:first-child bold)
* The :first-letter pseudo-class (Ex: h1:first-letter)
* The :first-line pseudo-class (Ex: h1:first-line)

Some say no [ a good article] and the MSDN authorities say yes

Am I bothered
Well yes because I am trying to implement a “Highlight hidden microformats in this page ” stylesheet switcher as a learning project at the moment - Following on from inspiration gained from 24ways via Jeremy Keith . I sid it was affecting my work!!

With so many unsupported selectors what chance is there to implement CSS3 selectors

Technorati Tags: CSS 2.0, Internet Explorer CSS support, Internet Explorer, CSS

I am working away on a online shop at the moment and realised that I just start to include stuff I have just seen.

I have been following 24ways with interest again this year and when looking for a solutions have got some great ideas.

I have decided that projects in December are a good idea as you have the entire Brit-pack list of web superheroes as consultants.

Just bloggin about this hoping that someone with superior network knowledge will pick up this on technorati or similar

I have a mediatemple grid server (for use on a work project) that is struggling sending email to a particular domain we own. It just seems to evaporate into virtual oblivion.

Not dropping in spam filter or getting a reject message in any logs. Of course the excellent guys at (MT) are on with it. But I needed to vent my frustration.

Technorati Tags: email problems, email, mediatemple, networking