2November2006
Posted by Gary K under: Web design.
CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) today released for public comment a draft of the WOMMA Ethical Blogger Contact Guidelines, which gives marketers a 10-item checklist with which to make sure they are always appropriate and ethical when communicating with bloggers. WOMMA is asking for feedback and revision from the blogging community and all interested parties.
“It is vital that marketers understand the rules of the road when communicating with bloggers,” said WOMMA CEO Andy Sernovitz. “We’re committed to making it easy to be ethical.”
When companies engage with blogs, they are more open, transparent, and accountable. As companies respond to this call to participate, they need clear guidance on the rules of the road.
Marketers who want to join blog conversation must, 1) decide if and when it’s appropriate, 2) do it ethically, respectfully, and with good taste. If they choose to engage bloggers, then these guidelines will help them do it right.
Modeled on the WOMMA Ethics guidelines of honesty of relationship, opinion, and identity, this simple tool helps companies educate their entire staff on exactly which behaviors are appropriate.
“It’s an easy way to teach your team and to avoid mistakes that will be harmful to your reputation,” said David Binkowski, director of online outreach, Hass MS&L, who is co-chair of the project. “Prevention is a powerful protection.”
31October2006
Posted by Gary K under: Web design.
When considering blog topics, I don’t always think first of my own projects. eNews Park Forest, however, seems to be really taking off. The concept for eNews Park Forest is simple. I wanted to develop an online magazine for the citizens of Park Forest. During the three years I served as trustee in Park Forest, I heard quite a bit of frustration from area residents about the lack of news coverage given to the village in the local media.
Newspapers started in the local community. Local coverage is crucial. There are stories in each and every town that go untold, and need to be told.
Clubs and not-for-profit organizations can advertise for free, and there will be a low rate for businesses to advertise. In particular, people are upset that the police blotter and other events do not get the coverage that they seem to get in other towns. There are even reports that the Park Forest police blotter is more complete in the Hammond Times, an Indiana paper, than it is in our local papers!
This is an ongoing project, and I’m very excited. Some have commented to me that it’s, “The wave of the future.” There is still work to be done before we cover the police blotter for the first time. Journalists should proceed cautiously. Truth be told, and the truth does need to be told, there are times when journalist proceed recklessly, making the news instead of reporting the news. I want this to be an example to the local media. I want this to be a respected news source, focusing on local stories, and giving our good organizations in Park Forest an avenue for telling their story.
I’m looking forward to tracking this story as it unfolds.
30October2006
Posted by Gary K under: Linux; Operating Systems.
Linux today is speculating on whether Linux is ready for the desktop. This is an exciting question, and an important one. It is also a very old debate. Linux is not currently threatening the place of Windows on most desktops, but it has made some inroads. Hosting at Shire Enterprises is on a Linux server at Midphase. While I flirted for a while with hosting on a Windows server, Linux is far more reliable for hosting. Hands down.
But on my desktop? When I consider how far Linux will get on the desktop, I ask myself how much time I would have to spend explaining the new interface to my mother. She’s my benchmark on usability. Mom’s not an expert, but smart. I do not see her taking much time to figure out an operating system. If Linux wins its place on her desktop, it’s got to be easy. At this point, I Linux does not pass the “Mom” test.
The question of software availability is a big one. Convincing the average user that “Linux has all the software you need” is a stretch. Kids and games. Say no more.
So, how far will Linux get? That depends on the road Windows takes with Vista. According to LinuxToday.com:
Another allegory is appropriate here. Windows is a standard mass-production house where you can change the color of walls or perhaps a floor coating. Linux is the house which you have to build yourself, but make it roofless or perhaps underwater if you like to.
Now, after 10 years, this difference is diminished. Windows has more options and tunables, Linux comes preconfigured with a lot of “default” settings. Still, there is much more freedom in how you set up your Linux box, compared to Windows. And that’s what I like on my desktop. After ten years, I’m still using the same window manager–IceWM–because I can configure it in a way that’s convenient for me, not for the average Joe that Microsoft interface designers have in mind.
10 years is a long time to spend with any operating system. And many Windows users have been there at least that long. Will Windows do itself in by making the system more complex? Yesterday, I reported on the huge system drain that Windows has become. Starting out with a 200 gigabyte hard drive just to make the OS happy sounds incredible.
Will Linux find its rightful place after all?
29October2006
Posted by Gary K under: Computer hardware.
In a surprise move which I’m sure the computer industry will take issue, Walter Mossberg, author and creator of the Personal Technology column in The Wall Street Journal advises consumers to wait until February to buy a new Windows desktop or laptop. The reason? Memory intensive and hard drive consuming Windows Vista is on the horizon, poised for release around January 30, 2007. In Microsoft time, that means the actual release could be months later.
Mossberg says it is possible to upgrade most new Windows PCs to Vista, but that “can be a tricky business…. It’s always better to buy a new PC that has been matched at the factory with the latest operating system. Waiting just another 90 days could save you a lot of upgrading aggravation.”
If you simply cannot wait and must have a new computer this December, Mossberg gives advice for those who are typical mainstream users, “not hard-core gamers or people doing intensive video production.”
Make sure your new PC has a sticker that says, “Vista Capable.”
But this sticker guarantees that it will work with only the stripped-down Home Basic version of Vista. If you want to be able to upgrade to the Home Premium version of Vista, which has the full user interface and other features, or to several other versions of Vista, look for a computer designated “Premium Ready.” Naturally, these latter machines will cost more.
Make sure the new box has at least 2 gigabytes memory. While Microsoft advises 512 megabytes for the stripped down version. If you want to run Vista with all the bells and whistles, go for 2 gigabytes. As far as the processor goes:
For stripped-down Vista, a processor running at 800 megahertz or faster should be sufficient, according to Microsoft. For full Vista, the speed rises to 1 gigahertz. For anything other than stripped-down Vista, I’d strongly suggest buying a so-called dual core processor, like Intel’s Core Duo or Core 2 Duo, which pack the equivalent of two chips into one.
Hard disk recommendation, for stripped-down Vista, 60 gigabytes should be sufficient. For the whole package? Mossberg recommends a 200 gigabyte drive.
If you are a Apple Macintosh person, Mossberg says go ahead and buy. The OS upgrade for the Mac, named Leopard, should not be as disruptive as the Windows Vista upgrade potentially will be. Plus, Leopard isn’t due out until spring, months after Vista’s scheduled release.
My first PC was a Dell with a 512 megabyte hard drive, and I was on top of the world when it arrived. I suspect those of us with XP will be fine for a couple of years, as Microsoft will not drop support for XP. However, sometime soon, it will be time for another switch.
28October2006
Posted by Gary K under: Browsers.
Just a quick word about Microsoft. I’ve been pretty harsh on Internet Explorer 7, and, I think, with good reason. In truth, I really started out on OS/2. OS/2 was an excellent operating system, and I’m sorry it’s no longer around. However, Windows XP has surpassed where OS/2 was when OS/2 finally ceased development. I’m happy enough with Windows, now. I haven’t seen the “Blue Screen of Death” since I started with XP. And, I’m much happier that I don’t really have to restart Windows every time I install an application.
But Microsoft does not pass muster with IE7.
27October2006
Posted by Gary K under: Web design.
IE7 is not ready for prime time and you should not install it as your primary browser. Yet another hold was discovered by Secunia:
A weakness has been discovered in Internet Explorer, which can be exploited by malicious people to conduct phishing attacks.
Phishing, according to Dictionary.com, is:
A method of identity theft carried out through the creation of a website that seems to represent a legitimate company. The visitors to the site, thinking they are buying something from a real business, submit their personal information to the site. The criminals then use the personal information for their own purposes, or sell the information to other criminal parties.
The only danger would occur if a user were to actually follow a link to the site, thus taking the bait. There is a test on Secunia’s site to see if your browser is susceptable to the problem.
This bug discovered by Secunia is in addition to the bugs that Microsoft has thus far reported on.
As always, Firefox passes the test. If you haven’t switched yet to Firefox, what are you waiting for?
26October2006
Posted by Gary K under: Web design.
Found a great tool today to facilitate creating locked directories or “Members Only” areas in a domain. Locked-Area.com features some excellent tools for helping webmasters create password-accessible directories without having to create and edit .htaccess and .htpasswd files by hand. Basically, with a bit of tweaking and minor styling, the system can be set up in a relatively short period of time. Visit the Shire Enterprises Members Area to see a working model. Locked-Area comes with a basic interface, or one that offers many more options with registration.
Take a look! Really easy to set up and configure.
25October2006
Posted by Gary K under: Browsers; Web design.
Internet Explorer 7 lost me completely today. I received a note on a Yahoo email list that my blog site “breaks” in IE7 when the user expands the text size one click, CTRL-+.
It’s true. Here’s the result:
Notice the text overflow onto the background, and the expanded size of the images.
Essentially, Microsoft blew it.
The CTRL-+ invokes a zoom command, expanding images, layout, as well as text. The entire web page explodes. This is a nice feature, but useless for CSS layouts that set a background image using CSS. Essentially, Microsoft gave IE7 the capability to expand all content, zoom in on everything except background images. Why would they stop there? And why link a zoom command to the CTRL-+ and CTRL– shortcut key commands? Most people are accustomed to those shortcuts being used to expand text size, not expand the entire page.
The IE team apparently has a sense of humor. On 10/24/06, the day Firefox 2 was released, the staff at Mozilla headquarters in Mountain View, CA, received a cake:
That’s funny. But what really takes the cake is that IE still doesn’t measure up to Firefox.
I’ll be honest. I jumped into the computer world on OS/2, a super OS for its day. IBM dropped the ball, several times. Windows 3.1 was good for one thing: Solitaire, and then only if no other applications were running. Windows XP, however, is much more solid. I hardly remember the Blue Screen of Death (knock on silicon). And I’ll give a generous nod to Microsoft Office 2003. But MS should really stick to perfecting the operating system. Leave browsers for those who know how to build them.
Like the people at Firefox.
24October2006
Posted by Gary K under: Browsers.
Firefox 2.0 has been released!
Last week, we saw the arrival of Internet Explorer 7.0, a welcome, but long overdue upgrade. IE7 has received positive, but essentially lukewarm reviews. IE7 still does not measure up to Firefox, though its support for CSS specifications is vastly improved.
Today, Firefox strikes back. Version 2.0 promises built in Phishing protection, enhanced search capabilities, improved tabbed browsing, and inline spell checking. The release also includes Session Restore:
Losing your place while you’re doing things on the Web is a pain. Now, with Session Restore, if Firefox has to restart or closes when it comes back you’ll pick up exactly where you left off. The windows and tabs you were using, the text you typed into forms, and the in-progress downloads you had running will all be restored. You can even set Firefox 2 to always restore your previous session instead of loading a home page, so you’ll never lose your place again.
It didn’t take long. The new release blows IE7 out of the water. Installation is quick and painless. Extensions automatically upgrade, if necessary, after a query. Yet another reason to download Firefox.
24October2006
Posted by Gary K under: Web design.
Fixed-width layout is very popular in design. The optimal fixed-width is a matter of discussion. There are plenty of people who still view the Internet through 800×600 pixel resolution. So, a website set to 800 pixels wide is still the safest bet.
Fixed-height layout is another question, and potentially dangerous for design. While the overwhelming majority of people still view web pages with “Medium” text size in Internet Explorer, there is a substantial number of computer users who increase text size because of poor eyesight. Layouts need to be flexible.
So, how can we accomodate?
One method is to set a fixed-height using tables, but we need to be careful. This example shows fixed height with the height definition declared inline with the table tag.
This code does not validate at the World Wide Web Consortium, and this method should be avoided. However, if we define the height of the table in the CSS code, the page validates fine. The CSS definition saves the page.While the table height is fixed in both examples, increasing text size a few clicks does not break the layout. The tables are flexible, and expand to hold the content. With DIVs, however, fixed-height layout can be disastrous. Consider the following page and definition:
#fixed-height {
background: #33FFFF;
height: 400px;
}
While this page validates, increasing text size two clicks in Firefox breaks the layout, with text overflowing the container:
This is disastrous, and this layout should be avoided at all costs.
Later on we’ll tackle the problem of creating columns and DIVs that extend to the bottom of a page, two and three column layouts. For now, however, avoiding fixed-height layout in CSS is a must.
