Educasting from Ireland

Edits for action

KILKENNY -- We teach a web development course in Tipperary Institute and one of the main themes concerns making edits in a way that enhance user experiences. I've added two other reasons recently.

Free Stock Photography

FLICKR -- Another cool thing about Flickr is the Flickr group dedicated to stock photography. But there's more than Flickr giving away quality images.

Limit Google Toolbar

ZELDMAN -- Jeff Zeldman is offering ways to stop the Google Toolbar's AutoLink function from rearranging web pages. For people who depend on advertising revenue from their web pages, Zeldman's Javascript techniques are essential reading.

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10 CSS Tricks

WEB CREDIBLE -- Here are 10 CSS tricks you may not know.

Coloured Boxes CSS

MAXDESIGN -- Russ Weakley explains one method of building a full CSS layout from start to finish. The method, based on positioning colored boxes and testing across a range of browsers, can be used to build a wide range of full-CSS layouts.

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Russ Weakley -- "Colored boxes: one method of building full CSS layouts"

CSS Compatibility Chart

CORE CSS -- Here's an excellent colour-coded chart that shows the compatibility of CSS properties with different browsers.

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Core CSS properties via Angie McKaig who prefers full RSS feeds from bloggers.
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Farewell to HTML

Where does HTML end and XHTML begin? HTML became so popular because of it was easy to use. But the very features which made it so popular are the same features that are now drawing it back. A lack of rules regarding tags, and case sensitivity have attributed to the demise of HTML. One can't see this format being used for much longer, it's sure to die out in the next few years. Step up XHTML. XHTML is a much stricter version of HTML with three diferent levels of grammatical strictness - strict, transitional and framset. XHTML is in my opinion, a much clear-cut version, and should replace HTML altogether as soon as possible.

Gone in 10 seconds

MEDIA POST -- Anything that moves on the internet has to move quickly to a message because hypertext visitors are no more patient than touch-and-go trainee pilots. This means that it you advertise on a web site with any sort of animation, the advertisement has to get to the point. Animations that take 10 seconds to reach their message simply do not work.

Browsing in the kitchen

POYNTER -- I use both a Dell Notebook and a Sony Clie in my Wi-Fi kitchen. Sometimes I read recipes online when trying to figure out yet another way to cook rice. Like many other people, my kitchen browsing affects my need for big print. I've mixed incorrect measurements when I couldn't see the screen clearly.

Random Flickrs

POYNTER -- One of the things I noticed before Poynter released the Eyetrack III study of web user behaviour was that visitors to Irish Typepad often click my pictures even though they don't know they're hyperlinked. I always try to link pictures to something because as early as 1996 I noticed people nonchalantly gravitating to pictures and clicking them.