However, one simple way to tell if you’re learning something new is to ask yourself - if I had to do a project over again, what would I change?
Keeping abreast of the changes on the interwebs is a never ending battle—most days you feel as if you’re falling behind.
Lately I’ve had the experience of “duplicating” a website I built for a client six months ago to use on another new website. I thought my first effort was pretty slick - using a CSS grid system (BlueTrip, to be precise). The next time around, I still used BlueTrip (mostly because I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel) but I changed the DTD to html5 and used modernizer to implement some nice CSS3 tricks.
No, the site is not “responsive”, at least not yet. My goal is to make BlueTrip responsive, much like the 1140 grid system is. But nonetheless, there’s a nice fallback for IE6/7. Something I don’t have to worry about using another system.
If you’re aware of developments in the field of web design/development, you know that things move at the speed of light, and most of the time you’re left in the dark. But don’t give up - keep learning/reading/posting. The vast majority of us aren’t like Ethan Marcotte or Jonathan Snook. We’d like to pretend we are, but we aren’t. So we trudge on. And that is good enough.
]]>What if you could design a website for mobile first?
Don’t say that you saw it here first but…check this out.
Yeehaw! Design for mobile first and you’ll be okay.
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My Windows FTP client of choice (for the moment) is WinSCP because it is just blazingly fast and supports SFTP. With all the nonsense going today regarding secure domains, SFTP is going to be the standard of the future. I’ve used FileZilla and I’ve got to say, it’s simply a slow turtle compared to WinSCP. Sure, if you make the switch, new software takes some getting used to, but WinSCP is quality stuff. And it lets you designate your text editor of choice, when editing files remotely. Enter Notepad++
Lately at work, I’ve been mixing it up with regards to open source Windows web development tools.
Now I know that quality, free Windows text editors are few and far between (if you need to know the difference between a text editor and a word processor, consult wikipedia). Nonetheless, I rely on Notepad++ as my text editor of choice. There are a wealth of plugins to do web development with Notepad++.
So that’s it, a short list of how to do web development on a Windows machine without Dreamweaver. How much does is cost? NOTHING.
]]>Enter the Google Font Directory. Stupid simple to set up and implement. Who would’ve thought that web fonts could progress this far for free?
Surprised? Yeah, me too. I was given some comps with “non-web” fonts so of course that sent me packing to look for some good alternatives (we haven’t agreed on Typekit and the like, yet). Enter the Google Font Directory. Stupid simple to set up and implement. Who would’ve thought that web fonts could progress this far for free? Check out the 2010 24ways.org article on the same.
On YUI Grids, there’s a much older 24ways.org article on the implementation, and it still stands the test of time. Why YUI Grids? Because YUI eats there own dog food. Yahoo serves more web content than I could ever hope to. Besides, it’s hard to fault a microgrid-inspired design that’s only 4kb yet serves up over 1000K layout variations. Thank you, YUI! and I hope the best part you isn’t sold off into obsolescence.
So yeah, working on the web is still cool.
]]>I’ve had positions where I
What I liked about maintaining a large website was the predictability; even when our internal customers requested something out of the ordinary, I knew what to expect. In other words, I knew the limitations of what we had to work with. However, that factor contributed to my dissatisfaction with working with a large website; before long you were given a request that you couldn’t accommodate and you had to turn it down.
What I liked about maintaining a large website was the predictability; even when our internal customers requested something out of the ordinary, I knew what to expect.
When I switched over to creating/maintaining one type of website, I became very good at one type of thing. That’s not so bad when you’re learning the intricacies of PS or DNS, but not so good when you’re weary of that one type of website. Mark my words, if you easily tire of doing one thing, you won’t like this type of web work.
Finally, I’ve created and maintained a variety different websites, from simple e-commerce solutions to full-scale enterprise fronts, everything from a headhunter firm to a bridal-wear provider. Never the same thing twice. If you like VARIETY, this is your schtick. If not, not so much. Just when you thought a particular headache was long gone, the same client comes back with another request and introduces another round of problems.
But not all the time. I’ve found that working on a variety of different websites suites me best. The best part of it is working with many different clients and providing many different solutions—the worst is the same.
Working on the web isn’t for everybody. If you like the feel of grass between your toes, this probably isn’t the field for you. If you like technology and stretching yourself, then yeah, dive in.
]]>It all started when the kind owners of Xeno Media approached me after my first week of work, to see if there was anything else they could do for me. Well, I said, trying to code on this Macbook laptop isn’t going as swimmingly as I’d hoped. Plus I really missed having a dual screen setup, and a real keyboard and mouse…
Monday morning, I came in to see a new Win7 box and dual screen setup in my cube. Sweet!
Monday morning, I came in to see a new Win7 box and dual screen setup in my cube. Sweet! After trudging through a myriad of free open source editors (Notepad ++, Komodo Editor, Aptana, etc.,), and FTP clients (Filezilla, WinSCP, etc.,) I finally struck upon MS Expression Web. It had an integrated FTP client, and code completion (I admit, I’m lazy) and best of all, it had a 60 day trial and only cost $150! Keep in mind that Dreamweaver cost $399, and it doesn’t come with anything else.
Now I realize that this quest for a decent Windows text editor reveals a lot of what I find helpful when coding websites: I like having an “all-in-one” coding environment with code-completion. I don’t need a WYSIWYG component, nor do I need visual CSS hints. So that means that MS Expression Web 4 fits the bill perfectly. Plus it supports SFTP, which CS3 didn’t (not sure about DW CS5 since it’s on my home machine, which I haven’t used much for coding).
I realize that this post classifies me as a doubly uncool web developer, in that I admit that I use Win7 at work (the best O/S from Redmond I’ve ever used) AND that I like a Microsoft product. I know, all the cool kids use OSX and code with Coda, but I have a Macbook Pro and Coda at home, and I’d never willingly code a website with that. Given a choice, I’d rather have Win7 and Expression Web vs OSX and Coda. I know, I’m so out of it.
And I like that.
]]>Set a class on body, and use jQuery to remove it. That’s it. Why would you want to do this?
If JavaScript is disabled, then that class will still exist on the body tag, and you can use CSS to hide whatever effect jQuery was supposed to accomplish.
However, if JavaScript is enabled, the class is removed from the body tag, and the style sheet doesn’t kick in. Easy peasy.
Need an example? Check out www.mchenry.edu. With JS enabled, the homepage images rotate as usual. With JS disabled (use the Web Developer Toolbar for Firefox), however, the homepage images don’t rotate. Yeah, I know this is simple, but I never promised anything more than simple solutions to simple problems. Thanks, MS (hang in there).
]]>With that one request, I basically had to recode the entire shell. What to do? Grab a CSS framework and start rocking. Okay, I’ve considered most of the detractions for using a CSS framework - it’s a crutch, it keeps one from learning or using CSS, etc. These are valid concerns - if you used a CSS framework exclusively, you’d have a hard time accommodating requests that didn’t fit the framework. Also, if used exclusively, it would be hard to think outside of a CSS framework. I get it.
With that one request, I basically had to recode the entire shell. What to do? Grab a CSS framework and start rocking.
However, one of the best parts of using a CSS framework is rapid prototyping (or rapid coding). In the real world, that meant that I could recode the homepage and subpages in a little over an hour. Yeah, because I knew how to manipulate a CSS framework, I could spend the bulk of my time recreating assets in Photoshop.
Which framework to use? Whatever floats your boat. Since I started with Bluetrip, that’s what I chose, but there are many others.
Listen, most of the complaints against CSS frameworks come from CSS purists (for lack of a better word), who don’t have to crank sites out on the fly. For the rest of us, I say let’s use the best tools at our disposal.
]]>Sorta comes with the territory of getting a NEW JOB. Yeah, I work for Xeno Media, as a web producer.
I won’t be posting much these days, though that doesn’t mean I’m in stuck the dark ages (just stuck in an antiquated CMS). Thanks for sticking with me.
]]>They gave me a .jpg and told me to turn it into a webpage. Oh boy.
First off, I hardly ever code websites on “my own laptop”. Yes, I love OSX and Coda but since I work in Windows and code w/ DW, it’s not that familiar. (Yes, I admit, I got the Textmate program with an educational discount.) Secondly, who knows the perfect page structure right off the bat? I don’t. When given a design, do you immediately know the perfect semantic page structure? No. You don’t.
It comes to you as you work with the page, as you move it around. What you thought were the headings were REALLY list items as you went along. And of course you have to change the wrapper ID.
As you work with a layout (or design) you change the code as you go along. It’s called coding a web page. So getting back to the skills test…
Yes, I thought I blew it. Yes, I STILL got the job. It goes to show you that if you know the basic structure of an HTML document, you’re worth hiring…
]]>1) I don’t tweet. Yeah, you read that right. I don’t get Twitter, and I think the service is highly annoying, to say the least. 140 characters to express yourself? Puh-leeze. I write this one off as a mindless distraction that’s perfect for our contemporary age.
2) I don’t think Wordpress is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Sure, it’s amazing what an open-source blogging application can morph into, but I don’t think Wordpress is the Swiss-Army knives of content management systems (nor do I think that ExpressionEngine/Joomla/Drupal/[insert your favorite] fills that role either). Different strokes for different folks, so you gotta assess the business need before signing on.
3) I don’t maintain a Flickr stream. Nope, no photos from me. Sure, I know how to operate a digital camera but I’m not about to post pics from my most recent vacation as inspiration for anyone. I’m not a photographer. I refuse to clutter the internet landscape with my photographic mishaps. Hence, I’m decidely uncool.
4) I’m not a Flash guru. In fact, honestly, Flash makes me dry heave. Really. I’ve no desire to spread Flash around the Inter-webs, and that’s why I’ve done so little with it. Of course I can use the ubiquitous swfobject javascript to embed Flash players and the like, but that doesn’t mean I want too.
5) I think web fonts are kinda lame. I know, we’ve been stuck with the same basic eight fonts for the past umpteen years, but I’m still convinced that unless the web content is worth it, it doesn’t matter what font-family you go with. Really. If you’ve got nothing to say, it doesn’t make any difference if you use a fancy font or not - it’s still vacuous when all is said and done. Even if it’s pretty.
I’m not a Flash guru. In fact, honestly, Flash makes me dry heave.
If that wasn’t bad enough, I have these annoying tendencies as well:
1) I think web accessibility is important and worth striving for. Yeah, I read Roger Johansson’s 456 Berea Street blog and I make no apologies for that fact. As a wise coworker once remarked, web accessibility is only going to get more important so I might as well get used to it.
2) In my book, web standards are still relevant. In fact, I’m so taken with web standards that I don’t know how to build a site using tables - I’m stuck. I offered to maintain a non-profit women’s recovery website ONLY if I could recode it using CSS, and they obliged. I think tables are only good for displaying tabular data. Yeah, I’m not “hip”. UNSUBSCRIBE.
3) I still think a website should make sense if the stylesheet is removed. Yeah, I went there. Disable the CSS and your website should still make sense. Use headings appropriately. Label lists accordingly. Let the content breathe. Uh-oh, what would happen if images were turned off on your website? Could Google still make sense of it?
4) The semantic web is operative. Let your divs and classes declare what they do. Who knows? You may not be the one who maintains the website after you leave - do a favor for the next gal and name your divs and classes semantically.
5) I think JavaScript is overrated. Of course, at knifepoint I’d take jQuery over Flash any day, but if given a choice, JS would be relegated to the periphery. You should be able to disable JS and your website should still make sense. I love jQuery (Prototype, ah, not so much) but it shouldn’t be the central feature to your web presence.
Yeah, according to these counts I’m an uncool web developer. And I’m proud of it. How are you uncool?
]]>This project describes both the process used to create a web style guide for a higher education institution as well as the final product. I established the value of a web style guide, consulted published literature on best practice for style guide creation, evaluated web style guides from around the country, and formed a content-based method of creating a web style guide. Based on this process, I recommend that web style guides should combine the editorial and technical standards of a website, to better reflect the changing nature of web communications. Technical communicators who use this process will have a web style guide that can help their website earn higher search engine results, satisfy federal and state accessibility requirements, and better serve their end users by making information easier to find.
Curious? Read what I have to say. Creating a College Web Style Guide
Sorry, I did too much work on this for it to lapse into relative obscurity. Yeah, I did RESEARCH. Read it and weep.
]]>Even though some may argue that BikeSnobNYC’s focus is narrow and his purview is somewhat provincial, I believe his writing style has much to teach us about writing effectively on the web.
First off, BikeSnobNYC writes with a purpose: to offer an common-sense alternative voice to the consumeristic world of cycling. In a recent interview, Weiss said “A lot of cycling media exists to tell people about awesome stuff they need or should want. And there is awesome stuff we all want. But it’s important to have a voice that says, ‘You don’t need it. You don’t have to want this.’”
Beyond this, BikeSnobNYC knows his audience, for he’s a self-describe “mediocre” amatuer racer with Gotham Bikes in Brooklyn, New York. But that doesn’t mean he’s snooty about it either, far from it - Snobby, as he’s affectionately known, loves to take shots at the “fixerati”, those cyclists who eschew brakes and ride fixed-gear bicycles. Snobby thinks riding in the streets of New York City without brakes is one of the stupidest things a cyclist can do.
BikeSnobNYC’s intimate familiarity with the bicycling “scene” allows him to mockingly criticize at will, from those who pine after the latest and greatest gear, to those who believe that steal-framed track bikes from the 1970s are the epitomy of bicycle technology. He derides DINKS who express concern that their grossly-expensive carbon fiber bicycles might deteriorate from too much heat and cold. He also pokes fun at professional cyclists who like to “fingerbang”.
BikeSnobNYC’s bi-weekly posts are similar to taking a short journey with a sarcastic, likeable tour guide through the oftentimes bizarre world of cycling.
BikeSnobNYC’s readers send him numerous examples of the consumeristic-bent of modern cycling (and contemporary culture) that include outrageous Craigslist ads to artistic concept bicycles that eschew spokes and are made from wood.
Furthermore, there are characters, both real and fictional, that appear throughout the blog, from Vito the Helper Monkey to Spencer, his ironic intern. There is also a peculiar BikeSnobNYC vocabulary in place: “doucherati”, “fixerati”, “AYHSMB”, “fingerbang”, “Dashhound of Time”, “pant yabbies”, and many others.
These elements encourage one of the best aspects of blogging: the comments. Some people only read blogs for the comments, which are often more poignant and witty than the blog itself.
I’ve been reading BikeSnobNYC for a few months now, and even though I don’t own a fixie, commute to work on a bike, or have ever served as a bicycle messenger, I’m addicted to the blog. It’s like an inside joke that you get, or a cold splash of common sense. Snobby knows who he’s writing to and what he has to say, and that’s a lethal combination that’s rarely found on the Web today.
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Sure, I see the appeal, but I’d rather use an extensive font stack than rely on a bit of JavaScript trickery. Granted, my website will never be known for its’ font selection, but that’s not my intention. Remember, it’s about the content, people. Fonts may deliver the content, but if you’ve got nothing worthwhile to say, it doesn’t matter how pretty the fonts are.
]]>Of course, this is a departure from my regular post content. I’m not talking about web-related stuff, though it is related, if only indirectly. I’ve determined that I need to write often about things that interest me, even if it doesn’t concern web development. Trust me, since it’s my nine-to-five job, I’m surrounded by plenty of web development content, though it’s not my life. Hence, this post.
If I’m going to do a triathlon, I need a tri-bike. So I bid on and won a “new old stock” 2002 Cannondale Multisport 2000 on eBay for $610. Yeah, that’s a $2400 bike for $610, though it’s almost eight years later. This bike really is in new condition, albeit it has been sitting on the showroom floor for the last eight years (one wonders how much they were charging if it sat for that long). Anyway, one of the main reasons I bid on it was because online reviews of the model stated that the 2002 Ironman World Championship was won on this bike. Oh, the dreams…
Hence, the Internet. Without the research tools afforded by Google, I probably wouldn’t have bid on this bike, much less this fiercely.
But here I am. With a “Made-in-the-USA” handmade aluminum frame that’s eight years old, compliments of eBay. Full Shimano Ultegra 6500 drivetrain, with Dura-Ace shifters. And yeah, I swim three times a week in a pool. It’s a triathlon, after all.
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