Monthly Archive for March, 2010

Tips on Accessibility

Published by cashel on March 28, 2010 in User Experience. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

W3C: One set of accessibility standards to be aware of

W3C: One set of accessibility standards to be aware of

It is only fair that all web sites should be accessible to people with disabilities, and to the assistive devices they use to navigate the web. This post outlines key principles and resources relating to accessibility.

High Rates of Disabilities

The issue of accessibility is quite a significant one. In the US and Europe for example, nearly 20% of the population has some sort of disability, a figure that climbs to 75% in older age groups.

Visual impairment is a major form of disability and the predominant concern in effective web design. Blind users of the web typically use software that reads a web page out loud. Screen readers can read only text, not images or animations. It is important, therefore, that images and animations be given text descriptions that screen readers can read. These text descriptions are called alternative text (alt text).

Users with mobility issues may rely on the keyboard instead of the mouse to navigate web pages. In these cases, essential components of the page need to function without a mouse. Rollovers, drop-down lists, and interactive graphics frequently depend on the mouse for user interaction. The developer of these elements must ensure that keyboard-defined events function appropriately.

Accessibility Standards

There are two main sources of accessibility standards.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) from the W3C represented the first major effort to establish international guidelines for accessible design. This standard consists of 14 guidelines, each with three checkpoint levels for web developers to meet: Priority One, Priority Two, and Priority Three. It is good practice for all web sites to at least comply with Priority One standards.

Individual countries also have national standards, often mandatory for web sites funded through government budgets. Most countries’ standards, such as the US, are based (at the least) on WCAG Priority One standards. Some countries (such as Canada and the United Kingdom) are based on Priority One and Priority Two standards. In some countries, non-compliance will be penalized with the loss of contract — so it is good practice, and also good business, to comply.

Priority One Checklist

Here is a partial checklist of Priority One issues:

  • All graphics use alt tags
  • All captions use text or alt tags
  • All information conveyed in color functions without color
  • Server-side maps include alternate links
  • In tables, identify row and column headers
  • Organize documents so they can be read without style sheets
  • (Other items listed on W3C site listed below.)

Other Benefits of Accessibility Standards

In addition to providing web access to users with disabilities, attention to accessibility issues brings other advantages as well. Many accessibility principals are consistent with good web design overall. Optimized sites often download more quickly and are more efficient with low-bandwidth or outdated-browser environments.  Attention to accessibility also guarantees that your site isn’t inadvertently breaking the law.

Resources

To learn more about accessibility issues, or to test sites or sub-sites for accessibility compliance, consult the following:

 

The Internet of Things

Published by Brian Wesolowski on March 25, 2010 in Technology. 2 Comments Tags: , .

I often like to think that I am fairly knowledgeable about internet trends. I can talk social media and Web 2.0, but I must admit the concept of the “Internet of Things” was a bit confusing to me. That was, until I watched this video.

It’s easy to understand now why the concept of the “Internet of Things” seems to equally excite and frighten people. It is certainly not hard to imagine a day where there are more things on the internet than people – just think of the number of “things” around you that could be online. Sitting at my desk I can think of ways my plant would benefit from online insight on how much water and sun it needs (maybe it wouldn’t be so yellow), my stapler could alert our office manager when it is about to need new staples, the random business cards scattered around could automatically upload to my email contacts and so many more.

The important thing to remember from all this is just because “things” are online and there is boundless data, it is still going to take humans to figure how to use that information, put it to good use, create new efficiencies and ultimately benefit from the “Internet of Things.” The internet can only do so much. It will still take innovative people to realize its full potential – and my guess is we are still at the early stages of even knowing what that potential might be.

If you’re interested in the” Internet of Things” and the future of the internet in general, be sure to attend ictQATAR’s Connected Speakers Series featuring Michael Nelson on April 12 at the Four Seasons. For details, visit www.ictQATAR.qa/connectedspeakers.

Designing a Social Media Strategy

Published by cashel on March 21, 2010 in Web Strategy. 1 Comment Tags: , , .
The largest social media site - and still growing fast

The largest social media site - and still growing fast

Social media sites represent the fastest growing segment of the web. How does an organization best develop a strategy for effective use of social media? In this post we’ll outline key components of an effective social media strategy.

What is Social Media?

“Social media” refers to web sites in which users can communicate with other users. This may involve sharing updates (blogs or Twitter); swapping video (YouTube); exchanging photos (Flickr), or other forms of collaboration.

Many of these sites are growing quickly. For example, the largest social media site, Facebook, has grown about 200% this year and is ready to pass Yahoo and Google and become the largest destination online.

Should My Organization Use Social Media?

Since social media sites have become so important, all organizations probably should be using social media to some extent. How it is used depends on your organization’s objectives. Before designing a social media strategy, it is necessary to consider the goals you want to achieve. These might include:

  • Enhancing marketing efforts for your organization’s services or ideas;
  • Strengthening ties with existing clients and colleagues;
  • Learning more about your sector;
  • Increasing your overall visibility.

Once you have decided your goals, you can define the specific components of a social media strategy.

Social Media Strategy

The main questions to be addressed in your strategy are the following:

Member Needs Research: What will be the interests and needs of members of the communities you build or join? This research typically involves a combination of polls and surveys.

Social Media Ecosystem Research: What social media sites do you plan to include on your site, and which third party sites will you engage with?

Engagement Planning: What are the approaches and goals for each of the social media sites you engage?

Platform Selection: If you plan to run any blogs or communities on your site, which platforms will you use?

Management & Moderation: How will you train your online community team in order to identify best practices for moderation?

Metrics & Reporting: Which metrics will you collect, what will they tell you, to whom will you report, and how often?

Policies & Governance: How will you develop community and social media policies that fit your organization, and implement them effectively?

While it is important to plan for your social media strategy, it is also important not to get stuck in the planning phase. Experimentation is an important component of a successful approach towards social media. Do your planning — but also jump in and give the social media sites a try!

Qatar is Blogging!

Published by Brian Wesolowski on March 17, 2010 in blogging. 4 Comments Tags: , , , .
Raana Smith's Great Blog

Raana Smith's Great Blog

It’s been about three months since ictQATAR hosted Mudwanat: All About Blogging. The event brought together bloggers from Qatar and across the region, and lots of people just generally interested in blogging. We recently reached out to some of the attendees and got great updates from many of the bloggers and it thrilling to find that the event inspired some people to start blogging.

One such person is Raana Smith. She came to the event because her friend, Shabina Khatri, was speaking as a panelist. Here’s what she had to say:

“Attending the conference and hearing the speakers really made blogging seem like something I can do.  My husband and I are in the process of adopting a baby from Morocco.  We figured blogging would be a great way to let people know about international adoption and to keep our family informed being that they’re in the US and we’re in Doha.    Check it out: http://babymaghrib.wordpress.com/”

Awesome blog Raana!

Some other updates from our blogger community:

Mickie Mathes is chronicling her memoirs online.

Qatar Visitor is covering the upcoming Arab Net conference.

Abdulaziz Dalloul is keeping his blog going in two languages.

Vani Saraswathi (The Life of Umm) keeps posting at least three entries a week on a range of topics.

I Love Qatar is continuing its work on sharing the good things about Qatar.

And Kenza4u is sharing endless self discovery.

If you have a blog in Qatar let us know. We would love to keep growing the community of bloggers here in Qatar and talk with more like-minded bloggies.

Keep blogging Qatar!