Monday, June 24, 2002
Day 11: Skipping over navigation links
Mark Pilgrim
If you didn't manage to hack your templates to present your main content first, here's a compromise: provide an link to skip over your navigation links. It's not a perfect solution (presenting your main content first is better), but it's an accepted compromise that many sites use.
I don't need to do this because my main content is already presented first.
Day 10: Presenting your main content first
Mark Pilgrim
One of the main advantages of using a purely CSS-based layout is that it is easy to rearrange elements within your HTML source without affecting the visual layout, so that your main content displays while the rest of the page is still loading. However, I am aware that most weblogs still use table-based layouts, so this tip is for you.
Ha! Even though I'm using Radio Userland, I'm not using tables for layout, so I don't need this trick. Still, it's pretty cool...
Day 9: Providing additional navigation aids
Mark Pilgrim
You may be familiar with the tag in relation to RSS auto-discovery. But did you know you can also use a similar syntax to point to your home page, and to previous and next pages in a series? In Radio, the entire matter is simplified by Sjoerd Visscher's Navigation Links For Radio, a set of macros to do exactly this.
Done. Hmm, then again, maybe not. Need to investigate later...
Day 8: Constructing meaningful page titles
Mark Pilgrim
Every page of your weblog should have a unique and meaningful page title. Date-based archive pages should include the name of your weblog, followed by the date (or date range) for the page.
Done. My <title> tag includes a macro that is expanded at render time (thanks to Jake Savin and modified by Jeff Cheney [changed string.dateString to date.longString])...
<title><%title%><%local (d); if radio.weblog.file.getArchiveFileDate (radioResponder.fileBeingRendered, @d) {": " + date.longString (d)} else {""}%></title>Day 7: Identifying your language
Mark Pilgrim
If you're using any variant ofHTML 4, change your<html>tag to this (use your own language code if not English):<html lang="en">
Done. I had to change this in both the Main template and the Home page template (those links only make sense if you're running Radio Userland on your computer).
Day 6: Choosing a DOCTYPE
Mark Pilgrim
Many of the tips in the rest of this series will require you to know what version of HTML you're using, because the instructions will be slightly different.
OK, I'm using Radio Userland, and my DOCTYPE is...
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">30 days to a more accessible weblog
Mark Pilgrim
The first question is "Why should I make my weblog more accessible?" If you do not have a weblog, this series is not for you. The second question is "How can I make my weblog more accessible?" If you are not convinced by the first answer, you will not be interested in the second.
I've been following Mark's series on weblog accessibility, but it just occurred to me that I should be documenting my progress. So today is catch up day...
Lessons From Networks, Online and Other
William J. Holstein
Albert-Laszlo Barabasi's new book, "Linked: The New Science of Networks," could alter the way we think about all the networks that affect our lives.
The Big Secret
Steven Levy
"I firmly believe we will be shipping with bugs", says Paul England.
Discussion at Slashdot.
