Web Authors Corner

We'd like to welcome you back to the html authors corner. We had discontinued this section as most "budding" web authors seemed more interested in using some semi WYSIWYG authoring program (e.g. FrontPage, Netscape gold, Pagemill, Microsoft Publisher, Dreamweaver etc.) and really didn't care what their code looked like or how it was likely to affect other people. Since then, we have had a few inquiries from local home page builders (and aspiring ones) that have encouraged us to revive this section with a new direction.

A working knowledge of basic HTML will help any author avoid or edit out some of the clumsy and sometimes positively invalid code generated by so-called WSYWIG HTML editors. We're not saying DON'T use WSYWIG editors, but we do encourage any serious page author to learn enough HTML to be able to hand edit their code to keep it as clean, valid and polished as possible.

We will include in this section from time to time tutorials on how to do some of the basic tasks like:

• setting up, coding and using forms (a little bit more civilised than the messy and un-evenly supported <form action=mailto:etc>
• setting up counters
• ftp agents and how to drive them
• general pointers on how to start thinking about and designing your web sites
• things that work well, and others to avoid
• validation (a must for the serious web author)
• new web languages (CSS, XML, DSL, etc.)

This issue:

• form to email
• accessibility

Form to email using ALI's form processor cgi

How to set up a web based form using the form processor cgi (it's actually easier than it sounds ;-)

• Tutorial: Using Forms in Your Web Page

Accessibility considerations

Did you know that visually impaired people regularly use the web too? So do many others with various disabilities. For some it's their main contact with the outside world. With a few simple considerations you can make many of your pages just as enjoyable or informative and easy to use for those with disabilities.

This message was forwarded from the aussie-isp list, prompted by a comment on the legality of sites that inadvertently or deliberately discriminate against visually and otherwise impaired people:

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To: "'aussie-isp@aussie.net'"
Subject: RE: [Oz-ISP] html restrictions & aussie-isp archive

Matt wrote:
>
>this appears to be covered under the disability discrimination act, that is by not allowing text only browser, you eliminate text->braille/text->speech converters and thus eliminate blind people from being able to view your web site... we are investigating this further..

Accessibility laws are very easy to abide by. It is a great shame that perhaps the majority of corporate sites seem to have no regard/knowledge of them. I have audited several sites for accessibility compliance (one of my specialties), and they fall way short of the mark.

Watching blind people access the Web, it is fair to assume that this will become one of their main sources of information, as the web pages "speak" to them. They can access information they never dreamed of. We all know the depth of information on the web - imaging trying to put that into braille!

It may be as simple as offering ALT tags in images (v.simple), or offering a text only site. There are several good resources on the subject:

• New South Wales Laws:
  http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink.nsf/pages/aus_standards
• US Center for Information Technology Accommodation (CITA):
  http://www.itpolicy.gsa.gov/cita/index.htm
• W3C comprehensive list:
  http://www.w3.org/WAI/References/
• and a Validator to check your web pages are compliant:
  http://www.cast.org/bobby/
  (watch this validator, it makes Webtechs look like a picnic lunch pushover - its Thorough and mean!! ed.)

Hope this helps not only Matt, but everyone understand some of the issues dealing with Accessibility. The web is for ALL to use :o)

Andrew

You can easily make a start on improving the accessibility of your site right away with these two simple suggestions:

• Make sure when you use images that you supply meaningful text for the "alt" tag:
  eg: <IMG SRC="../back.gif" border=0 HEIGHT=26 WIDTH=152 ALT="Back to main index">
• If you design a frames site, make sure you have a <NOFRAMES> or text only alternative.

This page is Bobby approved

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This section is not intended to answer specific problems with WSYWIG HTML editors. Please contact the author or manufacturer for help with a specific product. Subscribers may send general questions, comments or requests for articles to the editor@albury.net.au using "Authors Corner" as your subject line.