Alex Hardy

…that Internet Explorer 7 has created problems on some of our older sites, whereas Firefox 2 (available on Mozilla’s FTP server now, ahead of their official launch) makes things (such as Flash movies living alongside Lightbox) work better.

I think Mr Shaun Inman put it well (following a slightly stupid post on the IE blog):

“Are you ready yet?” Are we ready yet? Shouldn’t the browser be ready for the web - not the other way around? Have we really made a career of cleaning up Microsoft’s mess? Sigh.

…Unless you’re a web developer save yourself a restart and just download Firefox or Opera. Seriously.

Seriously, you PC lot should get it, just cos its claws are so deep in Windows you’ll probably improve the performance/stability of your computer, or some sheeit. Just never ever browse the web with it.

Accessibility

Accessibility describes the goal of making a document on the Internet (such as a webpage) available to all. An individual’s opportunity to find and comprehend information should not be impeded by their choice of device, software, or a personal disability.

At [whatever domain], we are committed to this objective. We describe this as a “goal”, because it is a constant process of improvement.

Rather than dwell on jargon and theory, we prefer to describe our efforts in plain English.

Use of Colour

For the benefit of users with colour-perception deficiencies, we do not convey any information solely by colour coding.

Text

• Text contrasts strongly against its background to ensure legibility.
• The size of text within the site has been carefully chosen, but users that find the text on the page too small for their liking can increase the size.
• For those with cognitive difficulties, the copy is in the clearest, simplest language appropriate to the content.

Supporting Information

• Images and links have information to describe them in greater detail.
• Tables can have information that summarises their purpose

Links

• All links are accessible in any browser.
• There are no links that open pop-up windows.

Rich Media

There is no information presented through Flash or other rich media that is not accessible if those media are unsupported.

Printing

All pages of the site have been designed to print well. There are no “Printer Friendly” alternatives - just print!

Keyboard navigation

Users with reduced motor function, or simply a device that doesn’t have a mouse, will rely on being able to navigate a website using the control mechanisms that they do have. These may be anything from a standard keyboard, to a handheld joypad, to a headset for a user who is paralysed.

• You can navigate the links and form objects on a page using the tab key or its equivalent for your device.
• We have assigned keystrokes to main navigation links, so that users can move around the website without a mouse even more easily.This technique is called “Accesskeys”. For instance, pressing ctrl-1 links to the homepage.

Screen Readers

Users that are blind or partially-sighted may choose to use a Screen Reader, which is a program which speaks aloud the text content of a document. Content that is not presented visually can be added to a webpage to enhance its usefulness to Screen Reader users:

• Links at the top of the page enable the user to skip directly to certain areas, such as main page content. This means that the user does not necessarily have to wait for the computer to speak aloud information that they have already heard.
• Abbreviations for items such as table column headers — which would save a user time on repetitive content. For example, the Screen Reader could say “telephone number” in the first instance, and “phone” for all subsequent rows.

Web standards
We have built this website to conform to modern web standards. It has been tested thoroughly on Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Netscape and Opera.

We continue to improve our support for standards but make no concessions to older, non-compliant web browsers. If this website displays incorrectly for you, please contact us. We may then, at our discretion and in our own time, attempt to resolve the situation.

Scripted behaviours and data validation

• We have enhanced certain parts of the site with programmed behaviours and animations. The site will still be usable if these behaviours are unsupported by your software
• Server-side validation is in place to check form submissions, in the event that the aforementioned behaviours are unsupported.

———————————-

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions regarding our accessibility policy, please contact us.

… I’ll add some of my own. Better get me a Lightbox.

Done.

Behold, a test pic. Of the man himself.

Snazzy posts calendar!

Small things amuse small minds…

… two to go.

I’ve explained my Plan for World Domination™ to Mr Brent Phillips, an associate of mine of whose opinion I hold in high esteem.

On web development matters, that is. Bloke’s a damn fool about most things.

I counted two *nods*, and a ooo that’s a good plan.

There was also a *woot* and a *bounce*. Perhaps unrelated.

I shall take this as a vote of confidence. I need now to confer with Jon and Ste, to see what they think.

After that, I may go all coy an’ sheeit about what exactly I’m cooking up. I’ll be posting about my technical progress (or lack of), and maybe even uploading a techno treatie or two, but we shall see about that.

As an aside, Mr Phillips is now over there on the right… No, not there. Lower. Yes, there. Under “Friends.”

Aww.

I saw The Departed last night.

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg and Jack Nicholson, the film is about organised crime in Boston and the agencies investigating. Of course, it’s more complicated than that with insiders on both sides, but I won’t spoil the story.

It’s great though: tense, funny and (at the end) quite shocking in its violence.

DiCaprio, Damon and Wahlberg remind us that they’re among the best actors of their generation, and Jack Nicholson… Well, he’s Jack Nicholson. Which in my book is a Good Thing

Go see!

In other news: Stephanie and I have accepted defeat in the face of enormous buckets of popcorn. A wee Ben & Jerry’s will do nicely.

I’m using Google to search, Google Mail, Calendar, Docs & Spreadsheets, Analytics and now Firefox Sync.

Which is ace, by the way cos it keeps the bookmarks on the computers you use in sync…

All these years of disliking Microsoft (and I love a bit of M$ bashing as much as the next Mac user) for dominating the landscape, and I’ve happily jumped for another big company that’s well on its way to being for the next twenty years what Microsoft was for the last twenty.

I suppose when all’s said and done, we want our choices to be made simple. We want a one-stop shop. We want to be told what to do.

I’m still not *quite* ready to place all my trust in a remote company to store all my most valuable information, but I’m giving it away bit by bit…

… which in the short term at least, I’ll mainly be paying a lot of 1p sums into while I figure PayPal out.

But that’s not the best bit, the Halifax has been promising for months that they’re going to roll out a “new, improved” online banking service.

So what’s on the menu, then? Some fancy AJAX trickery? How about better integration so that when you’ve got several accounts with them, you don’t have to enter your bleedin’ details all over again so they can credit-check you when you’ve been a customer for years?

Gradients and curved box corners. Wonderful. I’ll look forward to it.

I have to admit though, I love the cheek of Beggr

A new website, developed by us at The Foundry, is now live:

Monty’s Millions

In essence, it’s a pay-to-play competition. The winner of each round (or “caper”, as they’re known), will get to stay on a rather fancy yacht, overlooking the Monaco Grand Prix next year.