Aja Lapus

Category: Standards

  • Deprecated HTML Still Taught in High Schools

    I was asked for help by my good friend to assist her nephew on his Web page design project. I first asked him what lessons they have discussed in school, so I could match the level of what the teacher taught to what we would be doing. As usual, it included <html>, <head>, and <body> elements, as well as the tables, anchors, images and lists. I was just disappointed when he said they still use <font> tags for changing the size and color of text, and use the <body> attributes background and bgcolor for placing background images and color on the page.

    Of course, as a standardista, I hated the fact that I am forced to use deprecated elements and attributes on Web pages. So, I decided to make a statement on this blog hoping to be heard (or read) by computer, web design, and web development teachers in any level of education.

    Please, please update yourself on what you know and teach about Web design. HTML 3.2, which you are teaching your depolama students, has been replaced by HTML 4.01 almost 9 years ago. That, in turn, has evden eve nakliyat been reformulated to become XHTML 1.0 in 2000. You should also know that HTML should only be used for structure and CSS be used as its presentational layer.

    Web design and development education standardization is one of the things I’d be pushing for in my Web standards advocacy. Education starts in the school. And, if teachers do not know what to teach their students, no advancement would ever happen. In my humble opinion, this principle of educational advancement doesn’t only apply in Web education.

    We are still in the process of talking about forming a formal Web standards organization in the Philippines. If you feel the same way as I do in this blog entry, and love to fight for Web standards compliance, join us in our discussions to help save the Web and its users—for interoperability, accessibility, validity, and semantics.

  • Nearing the end of WordCamp

    Matt signs

    We ambushed Matt earlier to have him sign my excuse letter and take some photos. Lexie told me I looked like a child on Christmas morning while Matt is signing my letter. 😀

    With Sir Regnard

    I’m so happy that Web standards was included as a topic in one of the talks specifically by Regnard Raquedan. And I was actually surprised he mentioned me and my blog. Now, I somehow feel pressured to post something about Web standards again. 😛 We are planning to have a meeting later for the Web Standards Philippines group, and I really hope it would again get things going. Thanks Sir Regnard! 😀

  • Matt is Coming to Town

    WordCamp Philippines

    WordCamp Philippines 2008 is coming! And I have classes that day! It was really a tough decision to make, since I could have quizzes on the 6th of September 2008, which is a Saturday. I really can’t blame the Mindanao Bloggers who organized the event for the schedule. Besides, I really wanted to thank them for having set the event up. But, since Lexie told me, the hell I care, Matt Mullenweg is coming!

    I first heard about this from Shari. She was also planning a meet-up for Web Standards Philippines (a group we set up that has been a little bit neglected for some time because of school), and to finally meet me and Lexie. I do hope WSPh members would participate in this event as well, so as to talk about things, like how we could finally start the group formally. And, most importantly, how we could impart Web standards ideology and advocacy among other bloggers.

    So, yeah. I’ve just registered and this would serve as my fee for the event. In line with this, I present to you the sponsors of the event:

    Matt, will you sign my excuse letter? 😀

  • Lots’u-pdates~a

    OK. So, I’m craving for pizza.[1] Well, it’s actually Yellow Cab I’m looking for if you’re really interested in sending me some. LOL

    Anyhow, I’ve managed to update my WordPress installation from 2.2.2 to 2.5 yesterday evening, fixed a little about the tag cloud in my templates that will now use the system native to WordPress, fixed some tags whose display contained spaces and/or hyphens, and updated some plugins I am using.

    I was actually watching the CSS Naked Day website around that time along with the UST Online Grades page. Unfortunately, they both weren’t updated even if I try to reload them pages once in about every 5 to 10 minutes. 😛 So, I just slept.

    I really thought there would be no CSS Naked Day this year. Made me sad, really. Dustin’s blog was updated March 9 when I last checked it before today. However, a good morning dawned upon me when I woke up. Someone commented on my plugin page asking me to update it, telling me Dustin moved the CSS Naked Day to the 9th. So, there, I updated it already!

    I have just one problem though. My site coughs up HTTP header errors whenever I try to respond to comments on my blog entries. The comments get posted still, but the errors are still annoying. Is there anyone else out there producing similar errors after updating to WordPress 2.5? Tell me please, and maybe how to eliminate it as well. Thank you!

    Update: Apparently it was the Extended Live Archives plugin I was using that causes the error. I have just tested it using my own comment below. It seems that the problem was already existent even months ago with the 2.3 release because of the database changes, but I already admitted I haven’t been fully aware of blogging news lately. The plugin remains disabled, so you might notice a little barer homepage than before. There seems to be a fix, though I guess I have to do it a little later as I am already tired after a full half day of tweaking with my installation.

    Footnote:

    1. ^ I’m always craving actually. OMG! I have to go on a diet. LOL

  • Blue Beanie Day 2007

    Today is a day for Web standards. As irrelevant as it may seem, blue beanies are related to Web standards advocacy. This so-called connection could be attributed to Jeffrey Zeldman on his book Designing with Web Standards whose cover features the author wearing a blue beanie. The idea of having a blue beanie day came from Douglas Voz, founder of Facebook’s Designing With Web Standards Group.

    According to Doug:

    Monday, November 26, 2007 is the day thousands of Standardistas (people who support web standards) will wear a Blue Beanie to show their support for accessible, semantic web content.

    … and I just can’t not participate. Now, I'm wearing a blue beanie for Blue Beanie Day. Here’s how you can, too:

    1. Make a personal commitment to fight Web Standards Apathy. Show solidarity with the Standardistas on November 26th, 2007.
    2. Buy, beg, or borrow a Blue Beanie (blue hat or cap, even a black or grey one will do in a pinch.)
    3. Take a photo of yourself wearing the Blue Beanie. Or take a cool group photo of you and your friends wearing Blue Beanies.
    4. Post your photo, or photos to Facebook, Flickr, and other social networks on November 26th, 2007. Remember to switch your Facebook profile photo that day. While you’re at it, switch all your social network profile photos. Flickr, Twitter, Last.fm, iLike, Pownce, you name it.
    5. Promote Blue Beanie Day in your blog or wiki starting today, and tell all your friends to get ready for Blue Beanie Day. Start by inviting all your Facebook and Flickr friends to this event.

    I didn’t actually have a blue beanie—I only had a black one. And, though black is permissible according to the guidelines above, I cannot settle onto wearing just it. It’s Blue Beanie Day, anyway. Errhm … So I bought one.

    Here are more of my photos, and here’s the bluebeanieday2007 Flickr group photo pool.