Aja Lapus

Category: WWW

  • Cross-browser testing, yet again

    I have read about Internet Explorer 7: Beta 2 Preview the day after it was released [20th of March]. The developers say it is rendering-behavior complete so I downloaded it to test my pages for rendering issues but it seemed to be having trouble detecting my Internet connection that I ditched it immediately hoping it to be better on the final release. Also, my father always had trouble dealing with new software, especially web browsers, so I really did not consider it staying installed in my PC because he still uses IE6 instead of the system’s default Firefox browser [which is also because of his lack of adaptive skills on browsers] that if IE7 was installed it will technically be a new browser to get used to.

    I have just discovered earlier this morning a way to use IE7 as a standalone browser. I was happy that I would not have to install it again to replace IE6, therefore, enabling me to cross-browser test with four different browsers — four different rendering engines [i.e., Firefox, Opera, IE6 and IE7].

    But, now that I have the new MSIE7 [prefixed for unambiguity] with improved native rendering features, testing it on my web site proved it still doesn’t come near to what Dean Edwards has done with JavaScript on his IE7 “plugin” for browsers prior to the real MSIE7. Needless to say, I still have to hack my CSS or at least get Dean’s IE7’s content-generating module to work on MSIE7 for this web site uses a lot of content-generation from CSS to improve readability especially with lists.

    *sigh* So much for a hack-free Web every standards advocate dreams to come very soon.

    elliptical trainer

  • The long wait is finally over

    I anxiously went to UST early this morning for our clearance report. It wasn’t easy especially that I was expecting a failing grade in Phys 205 as I have told in my earlier entries. Fortunately, though my head is aching [with fear, anxiety and because of the heat of the sun], I arrived there early because of vacation-induced lightness of traffic. 😛

    The fifth year students and the ESC were the ones who distributed the clearance reports. But classrooms were still closed even when hundreds of students are waiting outside in the corridors. Fortunately, we were first in line when they actually came to start the distribution.

    My clearance report Then the moment finally came. Like both of the paragraphs before this, this paragraph’s last sentence would start with “fortunately”. Fortunately, I passed all of my subjects!

    Well … Let’s go to a side-story after being blissful for ten minutes when I’ve received my clearance report. The fifth year distributor of the reports owned a Pilot ball-point pen but she lost it due to some students feeling it was theirs—or at least because someone forgot they were still holding it. 😛 Being the happiest person in the room, I gave her my Panda pen, which is much cheaper than a Pilot, telling her that she should be using those [Panda and the likes] kinds because those events really happen especially when students could be extremely happy or extremely sad that they forgot what they’re holding. 😆

    Now, leaving the room, I bumped into and talked to Kuya Bert—the ESC President. He asked me why I didn’t go to the last meeting of the committee applicants. Well, I just told him the truth that I haven’t received a memo from one of the officers. After he asked that, I expected that I was not the one they picked, but I, being the inquisitive being that I am, asked him if I was chosen. Well this is really a post of “fortunately’s”. Fortunately, he said I was.

    I went to the Main Building with my classmates to get to see my grades. There were so many people lined up, and again, fortunately, the line wasn’t to long when we lined up—it was doubled when we finally got our turn for the computer.

    It wasn’t good but I still am happy. I got home and computed for my weighted average. It is, fortunately :lol:, higher than the one I’ve had last semester though I haven’t got a 3.0 then and I have 2 of it now.

    Happy? Not really … I’ve got no money for summer! LOLx

    CSS Naked Day

    Btw, you may ask what is this CSS Naked Day. It is a celebration of semantic and purely structural markup that signifies the separation of style from content—the separation of presentational markup [e.g., <b>, <i>, <u>] from XHTML to make way for CSS as the presentational element in a web page. It showcases a bunch of web sites [including my web site] that participates in showing a page that is clear and not confusing even without stylesheets included. Please go to Dustin Diaz’s original entry for comments about the CSS Naked Day.

  • Mixed nuts

    Foreword

    Summer’s here; I have a lot of time to think. Now, compared to my usual post length, I’ve got you a longer one.

    Another day in my life

    Of course: my life’s story. I really can feel summer right now. No doubt. I’ve got tons of reasons to prove that:

    • Exhibit A: No water supply[1]
    • Exhibit B: Too damn hot outside
    • Exhibit C: It’s damn hot inside, too
    • Exhibit D: Second semester just ended
    • Exhibit E: Third semester[2] is starting 😆

    Summer: summer vacation or summer classes?

    I really am hoping for the former. Though I got a grade below the orginal intended passing grade, I wish it could be lowered to less than what I have. I have posted so many times about Phys 205, so I guess you know what I am talking about right now. *worried*

    First anniversary promo 😛

    As an online entity, I usually:

    1. Try to make friends
    2. Go with a flow; and
    3. Do whatever pleases me

    I see many people being hosted for free by other bloggers. Since I think I have superiority complex[3], I don’t like being the one hosted by another. Here’s what I want to do, then:

    Thinking about my domain’s anniversary this August, I was planning to buy an add-on domain to host bloggers since nobody would want a user.ajalapus.com address. But, I really do not know what people want as a domain name, so I am asking you. I decided to have a head start since I have a regular reader base of only less than ten that in time I hope I can have more responses than that.

    My rules and criteria:

    • criteria:
      • the domain should be:
        1. gender neutral; and
        2. appealing
      • it’s a plus if the domain:
        1. is something I could relate to
        2. is short; easy to remember; and
        3. comes with a .net extension[4]
    • rules:
      1. the domain should be available[5]

    Criteria and Rules updated 31 March 2006, 19:01

    Of course, I am not entirely sure if I can accomplish this. Money still governs the final decision.

    Now, if you have any ideas or suggestions, please respond below using the comment form. Thank you.

    New column

    With so much in mind, I think I’d like to open up a special category for just thoughts. So, just read after this entry, I have one I’d like you to respond to. 🙂

    Afterword

    I’ve just played TextTwist with my sister. I lost to “LUNACY” in the ninth round. Argh, I think I’ve become a deranged lunatic. 😈 Oh, my head hurts like hell!

    Footnotes:

    1. ^ No water supplyThe well in our village is undergoing maintenance and/or renovation. I really do not know the cause of it being made deeper, I just plainly concluded it is because of summer heat though a more complicated cause is more plausible.
    2. ^ Third semesterAs UST Engineering students would say: Third semester is another name for summer classes, for summer classes feels just like regular school days.
    3. ^ Superiority complexI think I actually have alternating superiority-inferiority complex — if such really exists — depending on the situation and the people involved.
    4. ^ .net domain extensionFor the domain will be a network of my friends and hostees.
    5. ^ Whois SearchCheck domain availability

  • To lead, you must follow

    I brag a lot about my web site … not about heavy-loading images — I cannot create them; not about flashy scripts — I don’t even want to look at them; and not about colorful design — I KISS. But, I brag about my source code, more than fifty percent of which you cannot see.

    Ok now, here’s more of the bragging part: I use valid markup on all my source code — even the stylesheets. I just can’t figure out why other web designers brag it along with their flashy web sites but after you’ve clicked on their “Valid XHTML” link or button, hundreds of errors come shooting out of the validator saying, “Stop! Please stop!”

    Ok, that was a bit exaggerated. I was the one saying those. 😆

    Practice what you preach.

    I cannot blame those people using pre-made or borrowed templates for having those validation links. But for those who make their own templates full of errors, proprietary tags and tag attributes, please do not tell me or anyone that you know HTML, because you don’t.

    Hey, I’m concerned. The Web wasn’t supposed to be filled with junk as you can see almost everywhere. HTML was supposed to be clean. But, yes, it is not. Now, if you want to participate along with thousands of other web standards advocates, please don’t just tell us you’ve got valid markup, show us.

    A law has been implemented and numerous standards recommendations[1][2][3] have been made but, sadly, it seems that only a few people acknowledge them.

    Ignorance is evident almost everywhere you look or surf. Most of them are personal sites ang blog sites, but even IT or tech sites, which should be promoting these standards are not following them.

    Standards-compliant code must be the standard. It must be a trend. It must be a habit. It doesn’t mean it is good if it just look good.

    True beauty comes from the inside.

    I almost came to linking those web sites I’ve been ranting about all day long (actually, “all entry long”) but I think I’d just have to make them realize it on their own. I really wouldn’t want to hurt anybody — I just want to heal the Web. 🙂

    Please take note that I’ve been ranting about web designers with validation links on their site that is full of errors, and not people who just make web sites they don’t intend to validate.

    Footnotes:

    1. ^ [XHTML1]XHTMLâ„¢ 1.0 The Extensible HyperText Markup Language (Second Edition)
      W3C Recommendation 26 January 2000, revised 1 August 2002
    2. ^ [CSS2]Cascading Style Sheets, level 2
      W3C Recommendation 12 May 1998
    3. ^ [WAI-WCAG]Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0
      W3C Recommendation 5 May 1999

  • Neophyte

    After learning so much HTML and CSS, I felt like I was ready for something more, something dynamic. I became interested in server-side scripting (one is PHP) but was unable to learn it myself because of its natural complexity compared to markup languages. I know its tag starts with <?php and ends with ?> but nothing more except for the obvious if-else statements. I think that is one reason I joined TomWeb for they told me beforehand that I need to learn ASP (another server-side scripting language) from their 35-hour (plus) training.

    I’ve been blogging and making websites for so long. I already knew WordPress long before the time came that I was able to use it. I have been using Blogger for those months without WordPress that its very people-friendly interface made everything a snap for me. But like what I have said earlier, I need something more than just HTML. I happened to be a self-proclaimed technophile, now I know I still have much to learn. When I was trying to utilize every feature of WordPress after I had it installed, I bumped in to something familiar and unfamiliar at the same time — PHP.

    This new domain I’ve bought is a very good experience for me. It helps me develop my interests and, of course, my knowledge about things going around the Web. It also rekindles my interest in self-studying PHP. Well, I don’t know any more reason why it is a very good experience; I just don’t want to terminate this paragraph so soon. 😆

    So, yeah, I am a technophile and a neophyte at the same time. I hope you have no problems figuring that out. I, for one, have none. 🙂

    I think this would be a good quotation: Everyone has to begin somewhere, so… begin.

    And, by the way, I have finished the primary template for this web log. I just haven’t finished its comments part. And since I so love comments, I will postpone template change until I figured out how its PHP code works so I could put it in the new template. 🙂