Robbins, J. (2012). Learning web design: A beginner's guide to HTML, CSS, Javascript, and web graphics (4th ed., pp. 3-46). Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly.
Back in the mid-70s, my cousin was taking courses in computer science. On his desk sat a bulky pale blue appliance with a built-in black and white monochrome monitor and keyboard. A cable ran from it to another boxy-looking device. This one was smaller and had two cups that held a telephone handset securely in place. This was a modem, he explained. It allowed him to connect to a distant mainframe. Interesting, I though, not sure what all it meant. My brush with the Internet was brief; a novelty and nothing more.
Twenty years later, a workmate in charge of our MIS (Management Information Systems) department asked me if I wanted to "surf" the Web. I’d been hearing of this Web stuff and noticing cryptic (“http://www…”) lettering appearing on billboards and such. So my introduction to the Web consisted of surfing (more like wading) around a site called "Yahoo!" What an excitable company what with their explanation mark and all. Over the years, our MIS department evolved into Information Technology. We have grown from one employee to more than seventy individuals each equipped with specific skill sets and duties.
In the interim, my awareness and respect for the power of distributed information grew, and I was (and continue to be) truly impressed.
All of this may be moot, however, when we inevitably surf to the end of the Internet!
Until then, <happy> </coding>!
Question 1
As web developers, how do we mitigate the inevitable obsolescence of a page or a site? For example, Flash was once the plug-in of choice. Today, it is being replaced by other methods.
Answer 1
The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine allows visitors to see how Web sites have evolved over the years...and in turn, how we have evolved; our tastes, our perception of what's "cutting edge" (animated GIFs anyone?), etc... We can say with great certainty that the Web, and the technology behind it, will continue to evolve. As such, we must accept that our designs have a shelf life and that they too will eventually expire. By remaining up-to-date in our field, we position ourselves closer to that curve. The other option, of course, would be to dust off our Magic Eight Ball and ask the oracle within!
Question 2
Do you believe it is important to incorporate accessible technologies into your content development practices? Why or why not?
Answer 2
It is important to incorporate accessible technologies into content development for at least two reasons: it is the right thing to do, and it is encouraged by state and local governments. In the not-too-distant past, too few curb cuts (dropped curbs at intersections), ramps or other barrier-free accommodations existed. Incorporating accessible design and technologies into Web development is akin to those curb cuts. By building environments, real or virtual, designers allow the greatest access regardless of age and ability. I received my first pair of prescription glasses last year. They are so ubiquitous and common, that I do not think twice about them. But they are, by definition, an assistive technology. As Web developers, we must continue to be diligent in designing content that is accessible…to the point where they too are ubiquitous and common.
Photo Credits:
Acoustic Coupler By User Lorax on en.wikipedia [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AAcoustic_coupler_20041015_175456_1.jpg
Error Page Lyckans smed: "Gruvlig hämnd" (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2015.
The first three chapters of Robbins’ Learning Web Design, A Beginner’s Guide to HTML, CSS, Javascript, and Web Graphics is foundational in nature and introduces the reader to the Web; how it came to be; and what makes it tick. The first chapter is appropriately titled “Where Do I Start?” For a beginner, answering that question is a daunting task. Robbins guides us through the maze of acronyms, definitions, and a host of job responsibilities as she demystifies the process.
Subsequent chapters cover the workings of the Web; the relationship of the Internet to the Web; a dissection of a Web page, and an explanation of how it all works. Finally, she touches on key topics crucial to the sustainability of the Web and its custodians. These concerns include: developing for the ever-expanding number of web enabled devices, addressing accessibility needs, and touching on concepts such as web standards and site performance.
Subsequent chapters cover the workings of the Web; the relationship of the Internet to the Web; a dissection of a Web page, and an explanation of how it all works. Finally, she touches on key topics crucial to the sustainability of the Web and its custodians. These concerns include: developing for the ever-expanding number of web enabled devices, addressing accessibility needs, and touching on concepts such as web standards and site performance.
Back in the mid-70s, my cousin was taking courses in computer science. On his desk sat a bulky pale blue appliance with a built-in black and white monochrome monitor and keyboard. A cable ran from it to another boxy-looking device. This one was smaller and had two cups that held a telephone handset securely in place. This was a modem, he explained. It allowed him to connect to a distant mainframe. Interesting, I though, not sure what all it meant. My brush with the Internet was brief; a novelty and nothing more.Twenty years later, a workmate in charge of our MIS (Management Information Systems) department asked me if I wanted to "surf" the Web. I’d been hearing of this Web stuff and noticing cryptic (“http://www…”) lettering appearing on billboards and such. So my introduction to the Web consisted of surfing (more like wading) around a site called "Yahoo!" What an excitable company what with their explanation mark and all. Over the years, our MIS department evolved into Information Technology. We have grown from one employee to more than seventy individuals each equipped with specific skill sets and duties.
In the interim, my awareness and respect for the power of distributed information grew, and I was (and continue to be) truly impressed.
All of this may be moot, however, when we inevitably surf to the end of the Internet!
Until then, <happy> </coding>!
Question 1
Answer 1
The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine allows visitors to see how Web sites have evolved over the years...and in turn, how we have evolved; our tastes, our perception of what's "cutting edge" (animated GIFs anyone?), etc... We can say with great certainty that the Web, and the technology behind it, will continue to evolve. As such, we must accept that our designs have a shelf life and that they too will eventually expire. By remaining up-to-date in our field, we position ourselves closer to that curve. The other option, of course, would be to dust off our Magic Eight Ball and ask the oracle within!
Question 2
Do you believe it is important to incorporate accessible technologies into your content development practices? Why or why not?
Answer 2
It is important to incorporate accessible technologies into content development for at least two reasons: it is the right thing to do, and it is encouraged by state and local governments. In the not-too-distant past, too few curb cuts (dropped curbs at intersections), ramps or other barrier-free accommodations existed. Incorporating accessible design and technologies into Web development is akin to those curb cuts. By building environments, real or virtual, designers allow the greatest access regardless of age and ability. I received my first pair of prescription glasses last year. They are so ubiquitous and common, that I do not think twice about them. But they are, by definition, an assistive technology. As Web developers, we must continue to be diligent in designing content that is accessible…to the point where they too are ubiquitous and common.
Photo Credits:
Acoustic Coupler By User Lorax on en.wikipedia [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AAcoustic_coupler_20041015_175456_1.jpg
Error Page Lyckans smed: "Gruvlig hämnd" (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2015.
I think that technology is going to be vitally important to every single area of teaching. Students are learning at an advanced pace and we need to keep up to pace. Great writing and ideas as always.
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