Learn from the pioneers- but remember the Web has much junk

What if anyone  from schoolchildren to professional writers were allowed to publish original ideas, made available to the public without benefit of review or edit? We certainly would see lots of books, comics and trash that was not worthy of a second glance. This scary scenario essentially exists now on the World Wide Web (with the exception of a few countries that try to control thoughts of their citizens). However, this does not imply that much of the content is not useful or entertaining. Rather, it is a reminder to you, a potential content provider, to make your best effort at creating effective pages.

Disclaimer: So why is this writing, and my site so boring? Well . . . it does take time and I promise to make things better, and . . . we all just have to keep working at it, and . . . it is designed for function over form and . . . we can't please everyone.

The site can be awful!

In the early years of the Web I became really excited about the potential for the Internet, but was immediately disappointed in the reality of content. When the Internet was extended with hyperlinks and multimedia capability to the World Wide Web, my expectations were high. With availability and simplicity of HTML tags, everyone could now publish, and it seems that is what is happening. Businesses felt they must have a site, no matter what. So much on the Web is just that . . . no matter. Things have gotten much better, but so much is still junk. Sites are more visually appealing, and show-off technology (if the viewer has the resources), but many have become placeholders devoid of any real content.

We still have to wait so long to see some of this junk, and that problem is not likely to improve significantly, even with wider availabilty of faster connections. It seems analagous to the futility of building a new highway in an effort to relieve congestion. As URLs have become a critical part of business identity and the multi-legged hordes of marketing directors have swarmed in with their hit counts and demographics, the Web is becomeing more of an advertising medium. "Good pages" are too often described in terms of flash and visual appeal and dynamic iteractions, that may not contribute to content presentation (or often distracts from easy grokking).

Table of Contents

• What's wrong
  • Designing and writing is hard
  • HTML isn't just HTML anymore
  • Good content is expensive
  • Beware corporations bearing Web pages
• Trying to do it right
  • Making your pages worthwhile
    • It's the content
    • Dodging the browser wars
    • Writing clean html
    • My perspective on good and bad
    • Maintenance is hell
• Just how do we do it right?

Your readers will appreciate your site if you design using the following guides:

Have a purpose for your page
Try to get the home page on a single, fast page
Be consistent
Always design for both graphical and non-graphical browsers
Don't use frames unless you must
Don't try to be "slick"
Use big pages and images only when necessary
If you must use a large image, put it on a separate page, linked from a thumbnail
Maintain your page
Don't change the colors of links unless your design compels
Don't underline text (this is for links)
Do not blink anything
Minimize the use of scrolling text
Don't allow the design to require horizontal scrolling
Use background images with care
Use background colors with care
Use animations with even more care
Use light backgrounds with dark text when you can
Use color sparingly
Choose browser-safe colors
Build your pages so any (many at least) browser can use them
Test pages using Netscape and MS Internet Explorer and AOL, on as many versions as possible
Test your page with the Lynx (non-graphical) browser (or with graphics off)
Do not use a visible page counter
Do not state "best viewed using . . ."
Don't expect your user to change setup
Don't expect the user to have or get a special plug-in unless you have some really compelling content
Consider users with special requirements including visual impairment or slow viewing
Always provide a way for the user to get in touch with you
Cross-link all the pages in your site
Date your pages
Don't have several links to the same content on the same page
Make sure your page is unique
Use a descriptive title for each page
Include <meta>: tags that contain complete and accurate data
Try to label sections using header tags
Use external resources when possible
Use headings in level order
Use Cascading Styles
Put equal spacing between elements of equal importance
Use horizontal rules to separate different elements on the page
Keep your pages to a reasonable length
Provide a table of contents for your site
Use a site map (with text links) for large sites
Print your page, and redesign if the print experience can be improved
Indicate the status of your page (last modified date)
Use the shortest URL you can get away with when referencing pages within your site
Don't' change the URL of your page unless you absolutely must
Make sure the text within a <a> container explains the target of the link
Ensure that each image element contains a descriptive "alt", and a height and width
Use a good HTML validation program to test your page and links
Make certain that you honor property rights as you gather information from the Web
Don't link to images or multimedia across the Net unless the owner of the site requires it
Seek permission to link to other sites
Moderate the tone and content of your pages
Avoid politically inflammatory, racist, religiously biased, or rude language
Pay attention to the people who take the time to comment on your page
Avoid regional slang
Don't use the phrase "click here"
Specify fonts you would like, along with alternatives and family names
Proofread your pages
Now proofread it again; then have somebody else proofread it
Create pages you are proud of, and then keep them that way