Posts filed under 'Standards'
Forms markup and CSS - Revisited
Earlier this year I posted an article on a CSS-based form template, originally done for the Sahana interface. It was modified based on the feedback I received from the readers who stumbled upon the article, and the final version made it to the Sahana system.
I have come to realize certain shortcomings of that template, hence this modified version.
Enjoying Safari
One of the many great things about Google Summer of Code is that we get a complimentary Safari account from O’Reilly. It’s a “Basic Small” account for 2 months, with 10 slots, meaning we could keep about 10 books in our personal bookshelf to be read online at a given time. I logged in today, and got lost among the 3000+ titles. It’s no easy job selecting the best from the high quality tech books O’Reilly is known for. This is a brief look at the five I’ve selected so far.
Accessforall.lk - the irony
Access for All is a commendable campaign that asks for the inclusion of disabled people when rebuilding the nation
. Having seen otherwise healthy people like my mother often having difficulties when managing stairs, I can readily understand the dire need for better informed design decisions in public infrastructure, transport and even places of employment and services. However, what seems to be sadly overlooked by this campaign is the right of access to information for all people, including the differently-abled.
Using size to size inputs
My first post at Bite Size Standards went live today: Using size to size inputs.
Bite Size Standards
It was the Sinhala New Year week, and we had a loss in the family, so I was living under a rock. Just came online after spending a few days at our village, and the first thing I check is Bite Size Standards: it’s gone live on the 14th!
CMMI - CMMI Makes Me Inquisitive
I work for a small company. And that’s a good thing. One main advantage of being small is that you can eliminate a lot of bullshit and get straight to the customer (less middle muddle, as Jason puts it). Being small increases adaptability and flexibility - you’re not a slave of a process, and don’t flinch in the face of change. Projects take ad hoc paths; the team has more room for creativity; hackers thrive. Small, indeed, is the new big.
It happens both ways
We often forget that the web is an open medium that speaks to the whole world. People have to be extra careful when throwing stuff online - you just might end up hurting someone, perhaps inadvertently, but quite possibly very badly. It is true that the eastern world has had difficulties in making itself heard online, but that is no excuse to turn frustration in to indifference, or worse, hatred.
Free Software, Free Designers
Today, September 10th, is the Software Freedom Day. It’s a day when FOSS geeks celebrate the glory of Free Software, and in a broader sense, Freedom. Although a designer at heart, and more consumer than producer when it comes to software tools, I’m compelled to throw my 0.02 rupees in, because one man on the other side of the world managed to convert me into a faithful admirer of the Church of St.IGNUcius some time back.
From a Grasshopper to the Masters
May 31st marked 10 years of Zeldman on web. June 1st marked 10 years of Jakob Nielsen at Alertbox. They defined what an internet laggard in Sri Lanka will choose as a career.
Where do you draw the line?
Developing with web standards is great. We all know the advantages, we have proven it to our clients, and they are convinced. However, it begins to suck big time when a client comes up with a request that web standards can’t deliver. Should the perpetually broke designer decline the job, or should he return to tables?
