[webdev] Web Design Update: June 12, 2009

Fri Jun 12 06:16:00 CDT 2009

+++ WEB DESIGN UPDATE.
- Volume 7, Issue 50, June 12, 2009.

An email newsletter to distribute news and information about web design 
and development.

++ISSUE 50 CONTENTS.

SECTION ONE: New references.
What's new at the Web Design Reference site?
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/webdesign/
New links in these categories:

01: ACCESSIBILITY.
02: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.
03: EVALUATION & TESTING.
04: EVENTS.
05: JAVASCRIPT.
06: MISCELLANEOUS.
07: STANDARDS, GUIDELINES & PATTERNS.
09: USABILITY.

SECTION TWO:
10: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site?

[Contents ends.]

++ SECTION ONE: New references.

+01: ACCESSIBILITY.

Purpose of the summary Attribute
By Gez Lemon.
"The purpose of the summary attribute is to concisely describe the 
structure of a data table. The summary attribute is not intended to 
provide a long description for data tables."
http://juicystudio.com/article/purpose-of-the-summary-attribute.php

Help Screen Reader Users by Giving Data Tables a Summary
By Roger Johansson.
"...To help users of non-visual browsers understand and navigate data 
tables, you can use the summary attribute to provide a description of 
the purpose of the table and describe its structure. The summary 
attribute is not displayed in graphical browsers, so the information 
you put there should be written for non-visual users..."
http://tinyurl.com/qtmbjh

Playing with YouTube Captions
By Terrill Thompson.
"I've been playing this week with closed captions on YouTube. YouTube 
announced support for closed captions in August 2008, and followed that 
announcement with this demonstration video. This inspired us at DO-IT 
to create our own YouTube Channel and to start uploading captioned 
videos..."
http://terrillthompson.com/2009/06/playing-with-youtube-captions.html

Refreshable Braille
By Roger Hudson.
"...nearly all assume a screen reader is an audio output device and 
when asked if they have seen a Braille device, the answer is usually 
no..."
http://accessites.org/site/2009/06/refreshable-braille/

Accessibility and You
By Chris Heilmann.
Brownbag presentation materials.
http://tinyurl.com/qkybr7

+02: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.

CSS: The Maintenance Issue Number 1 and How You Can Avoid It
By Jens Meiert.
"The biggest - as most unnecessary - maintenance issue in web 
development is, as my recent research shows, style sheet naming and 
integration..."
http://meiert.com/en/blog/20090527/css-maintenance-issue-1/

+03: EVALUATION & TESTING.

Guesses vs. Data as Basis for Design Recommendations
By Jakob Nielsen.
"Even the tiniest amount of empirical facts (say, observing 2 users) 
vastly improves the probability of making correct UI design decisions."
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/guesses-data.html

+04: EVENTS.

The CSS Summit
July 18, 2009.
Online Event
http://www.environmentsforhumans.com/

+05: JAVASCRIPT.

WAI-ARIA Implementation in JavaScript UI Libraries
By Steve Faulkner.
"A number of popular Javascript UI Libraries are in the process of 
adding WAI-ARIA support to their widgets and components. What is the 
current status and future plans for WAI-ARIA implementation in these 
libraries?..."
http://www.paciellogroup.com/blog/?p=313

+06: MISCELLANEOUS.

Managing Werewolves
By Michael Lopp.
"While you're always optimistic when leading a team, you know that not 
everyone's got your back. Liars and poor communicators can wipe out 
good work faster than a 404 error. Learn how to think critically about 
verbal and non-verbal behavior and to separate office politics from 
truth, so you don't let the Werewolves win."
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/managing-werewolves/

+07: STANDARDS, GUIDELINES & PATTERNS.

WAI CG Consensus Resolutions on Text alternatives in HTML 5
By WAI-CG Task Force.
"This report provides WAI consensus recommendations for alternative 
text support in HTML 5. On January 14, 2009 the WAI-CG created a Task 
Force on Alternative Text, to consider the various alternative text 
approaches discussed over the past few years, and to develop consensus 
WAI recommendations for appropriate handling of alternative text in 
HTML5. These recommendations have been reviewed by the following WAI 
Working Groups: Authoring Tools Working Group (AUWG), Protocols & 
Formats Working Group (PFWG), User Agent Working Group (UAWG), and Web 
Content (WCAG WG)."
http://www.w3.org/2009/06/Text-Alternatives-in-HTML5

Thinking About Canvas Accessibility
By Steve Faulkner.
"The canvas element is a new element of the 'in progress' HTML 5 
specification, it provides the ability to create dynamically generated 
graphics in HTML in conjunction with JavaScript. It has rightly 
generated a lot of interest due to the possibilities it presents, 
canvas 'can be used for rendering graphs, game graphics, or other 
visual images on the fly'. While its creative features are 
sophisticated, its 'feature' (duplicate all canvas content as HTML 
inside the canvas element) for providing an accessible content can best 
be described as a primitive example of  'bolt on' accessibility..."
http://www.paciellogroup.com/blog/?p=362

Notes on Accessibility of Text Replacement Using HTML5 Canvas
By Steve Faulkner.
"Roger Johansson recently blogged on issues with Cufon Accessibility in 
relation to Assistive Technology, which is well worth a read. It 
prompted me to do a little testing..."
http://www.paciellogroup.com/blog/?p=299

+08: USABILITY.

Is Your Website a Needy Child?
By Gerry McGovern.
"The public website or intranet that keeps screaming for attention with 
useless images and vain content will get little from the impatient and 
skeptical customer."
http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt/2009/nt-2009-06-08-needy-child.htm

[Section one ends.]

++ SECTION TWO:

+09: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site?

Accessibility Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/accessibility

Association Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/associations

Book Listings.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/books

Cascading Style Sheets Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/css

Color Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/color

Dreamweaver Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/dreamweaver

Evaluation & Testing Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/testing

Event Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/events

Flash Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/flash

Information Architecture Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/architecture

JavaScript Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/javascript

Miscellaneous Web Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/misc

Navigation Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/navigation

PHP Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/php

Sites & Blogs Listing.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/sites

Standards, Guidelines & Pattern Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/standards

Tool Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/tools

Typography Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/type

Usability Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/usability

XML Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/xml

[Section two ends.]

++END NOTES.

+ SUBSCRIPTION INFO.

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+ TEXT EMAIL NEWSLETTER (TEN).

As a navigation aid for screen readers we do our best to conform to the 
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+ SIGN OFF.

Until next time,

Laura L. Carlson
Information Technology Systems and Services
University of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN U.S.A. 55812-3009
mailto:lcarlson at d.umn.edu

[Issue ends.]