an oddly-named blog about web-building with standards in mind

This blog, I mean

The history of Zombiecoder is thus: I started blogging on my original personal web site, http://kay.smoljak.com/. After the MXDU conference in 2003, I got added to the Fullasagoog aggregator in the ColdFusion category, and eventually to Macromedia/Adobe’s MXNA.

The great thing about aggregators is that they bring you a lot of traffic that you wouldn’t otherwise get. The problem with aggregators is that really, you need to stay on topic as much as possible because the people subscribing to that aggregated feed don’t want just any old rubbish. It’s entirely different from having your own individual subscribers.

I was getting pretty involved in the Web Standards Group and AWIA and our local Perth Port80 chapter and it seemed that web standards, CSS, accessibility and other such topics didn’t fit in so well with the code-focus of a ColdFusion blog - so zombiecoder was born.

However, things have changed. While I’m still involved with the various activities of AWIA and Port80, I just don’t have enough time to devote to the WSG. And since 2003, the general CF community has become more and more interested in the wider web - to the point where web standards and accessibility are not considered off-topic anymore.

Another shift that has occurred is more to do with the web standards community: there just seems to be less web standards blogging going on in general. Some people have different thoughts as to why that’s occurred - me, I think that we’re getting to saturation point. The people who are listening already get it. Specifications move slowly - there’s been nothing new in HTML or CSS for a long time. There’s just nothing much to write about. 

So… here’s what I’m thinking. I’m thinking I will import the posts from this blog into kay.smoljak.com. I will set up redirects so no links get broken. Essentially, merge the two blogs into one: a meta-blog, if you will, but rather than calling it a web standards blog or a ColdFusion blog I’ll call it my web development blog and post about topics related to all facets of web development as I see fit.

So… thoughts? Does anyone agree, or disagree? Think it’s a good or bad idea? Like it, hate it, don’t give a toss either way? Let me know in the comments if I’m doing the right thing - cos I think I am, but I’m not sure.

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of presenting (virtually) to the New Zealand ColdFusion User Group on CSS and web standards. David Harris runs the meetings with both physical attendees in Auckland and virtual attendees through Adobe Connect.

The recording of that presentation (with slides) is now available. It sounds a little scratchy, unfortunately - no doubt a combination of my not-great headset and the extreme distance. The presentation covers how, as a ColdFusion developer, I came to be involved in web standards, what the term actually means, why I think they are important and why I think web standards could be more of interest to back end developers then they perhaps realise. I also include a couple of basic examples.

Web Standards for Developers - Adobe Connect presentation recording

So, I just got back from Web Directions South, and it was AMAZING. The people, the atmosphere, the speakers… unfortunately it was over far too quickly.

The WDS07 podcasts are now available so if you didn’t go, you can get a taste of what you missed out on. Or if you did go, you can catch up on the sessions that you couldn’t attend. I heartily recommend Mark Pesce’s closing keynote “Mob Rules” - appropriately categorised as “vision” - it was inspirational.

So now it’s back to reality. Not for the tireless John and Maxine however - while the rest of us were settling back into our normal routines, they were busy putting together the final details for Web Directions North 08, to be held in Vancouver at the end of January.

Looking at the speaker list, I’m jealous (I’m pretty sure my conference budget does not extend to Canadian adventures). But I guess we can’t have all the good stuff down here in Australia only.

I’ve added a button to link to the sidebar here - if you purchase your ticket to WDN through there, I go into the draw for a chance to win my accommodation and airfares as well as a ticket to the conference. So what are you waiting for? Get me there already

There’s been some posts circulating lately about HTML email, and the horrible things that email clients do to display them, and the need for standards. Many people in the web standards community, while supporting the idea of standards for everything, have a distinct dislike of HTML email.

I can understand where they are coming from. HTML email, when used for ordinary email exchanges, is horrible. They are larger - even without images, we’re talking 7 - 10KB for a small message versus 1 or 2KB for the plain text equivalent, which over time adds up when you save everything. Then there’s the issue of overuse of fonts, and garish, hard to read colours, and “email stationary”, and hideous tiling background images, and even (please, god, no, make it stop) animated GIFs.

However, there is one kind of HTML email that I do like to get: HTML email newsletters. The Freshview team have elevated these to an art form through their excellent (and heartily recommended) products Campaign Monitor and MailBuild. A well-crafted, professional email newsletter can be a joy to receive.

Yes, the company could put that information into an RSS feed. Yes, we could get it from there instead. But for those of us suffering information overload, or not yet ready to explain RSS to our parents, varying the format and making it interesting with some nice design can mix it up a bit. For some sites, we don’t need to know about what’s new the second it happens - and a monthly or quarterly digest is a good alternative. From a marketing perspective, HTML email can also be very effective, so it’s a good thing for our clients.

Regardless of which particular view you subscribe too, it’s generally accepted that HTML email is here to stay, so some standards would be nice. A couple of weeks ago, Dave Greiner from Freshview answered the question of why we need standards support in HTML email, then followed up with ”a call to arms”: Help us form a baseline for standards support. Apparently the response from the community was good, and a web site dedicated to the “movement” will be launched soon.

The outcome will certainly be interesting: this issue is one to watch. But I still wish that individuals would switch to plain text for their everyday conversational email!

Perth has a long and well-established “Port80“ tradition that is by now known around the country (well, in the web industry anyway). The monthly informal pub get-togethers, which have been going since 2002, have been the birthplace of great ideas like the Australian Web Industry Association and the WA Web Awards, to name but two.

In the past couple of years, other cities have followed suit. There is a “most months” Melbourne meeting, piggybacked on the Web Standards Group get-together, a monthly Brisbane meeting and a bi-monthly Canberra meeting. Adelaide is joining the loop soon.

During Web Directions 2006, the Perth crew held a Sydney get-together under the Port80 banner at the Pumphouse in Darling Harbour, in the hopes of kick-starting something more regular in NSW. That didn’t eventuate, so we’re doing it again, but bigger and better!

The official blurb, if you will:

On the eve of Web Directions South 2007, come along for a warm up social networking session with your industry peers. It’s free to drop in, there’ll be some free nibbles and rumours of a bar tab (if we can find a sponsor!).

There’ll be a gang of folk from Port 80 Perth, folks from Adelaide, Canberra and Brisbane, and possibly even some Sydney locals. Lots of attendees to the conference, and a few speakers will also be there.

It’s all kicks off at 6.00pm, September 26th 2007
Quarryman’s Hotel
216 Harris St
(Cnr. Pyrmont Bridge)
Pyrmont NSW 2009

For a map to the venue, see http://rurl.org/892

This venue is literally stumbling distance from the WDS07 venue, so here’s a chance to scope out where you’ll be for two days, and get to drink and meet your peers.

If you’ve got any questions, feel free to hit the Port80 forums at http://rurl.org/7lk

For more information about Port80, see www.port80.asn.au or more about the Australian Web Industry Association at www.webindustry.asn.au