All posts by AlastairC
Mobile GMail
I've recently moved to using GMail as my primary interface, and I noticed a new mobile feature. The mobile access for GMail is much better than the one I installed on my hosting, which frankly was unusable on my phone despite an excellent mobile browser. Then I tried the Symbian GMail client. WYSIWYG editor spec – interface accessibility
The accessibility of the interface is just as important as the accessibility of the code the editor outputs. The key aspects to focus on are the 'perceptability' of controls (e.g. alt text) and ease of using a keyboard only. Reporting on accessibility issues
After releasing another website accessibility survey (this one global in nature), the topic of 'reporting' on accessibility issues has come up again. Frankly I don't think there's a right answer, but if anyone can think of a better method, I'm all ears.
Why does google use CAPTCHA?
Recently I noticed that Google will be supporting audio as well as visual CAPTCHA tests. This is so that those who can't see the screen can listen to a sound clip and fill in a code to prove they are human. Given the more effective alternatives, why is Google taking this approach?
Criteria for using Web 2.0
Whether you think the term "Web 2.0" is a passing buzzword or a useful umbrella term for a range of concepts, I've been hearing some strange requests from clients. Over the course of a few conversations I've distilled down the main criteria I use for establishing whether we should use some fancy new Web 2.0 magic.
Depricate the address element?
Now that the web standards 'battle' is being won, and web developers are taking more care with their markup, a regular question is "should I use the address tag?". This questions comes in various guises, but the fundamental problem is that the
address element doesn't have the meaning that people think it does. WYSIWYG editor spec – layouts
Having cut down what authors can use, they can just about edit regular text articles. However, I haven't met many clients who would be happy with just that! There are certain things that require the addition of code, this is how to do it. Anti-spam, hopefully not anti-user
In what I hope is the only site-admin post I have to do for a while, please let me know if you have any trouble accessing the site, leaving comments, or receiving RSS feeds. I do realise the irony, but please do email me if you are having trouble...
WYSIWYG editor spec – Tables
Each of the editors I've been looking at allows the addition of tables, but none of them allow the easy insertion & manipulation of a data table, i.e. one with headings. I deal with data tables quite a lot for windsurfing results, and the only program I've found for decent table editing is Dreamweaver. Fund raising for accessibility
At this stage, fund raising to allow fund raising! Joe Clark is starting the Open & Closed Project, dedicated to writing a set of standards (how-to manuals) for four fields of accessibility – captioning, audio description, subtitling, and dubbing.