Beast-Blog.com
2007 September

I have been working on creating other tools for web designers to use

I was granted an exclusive interview with none other than the one and only renowned web designer Sigmund Gnoskrept. This is the man who is the mastermind behind the concept of a — and the one who coined the term — “web site” in the late eighties, if that means anything to you. What follows is a transcript of that interview, my questions, followed by his answers. I was surprised by some of his responses, and you may be, too.

Continue reading “Interview with Sigmund Gnoskrept” »

For the past month-and-a-half I’ve been dropping hints about a new site I’ve been working on. Well, it’s done, I’ve flipped the switch, and it’s gone live. I don’t usually post about my creations in my blog (that’s what my projects pages are for), but in this case I am. First of all it’s my company so I have a special attachment to it. Second, I really like it. Third, a number of people have expressed an interest in seeing it once it was done, and last, I made it from WordPress (with the BeastBlog v2 framework) — and if anyone ever questioned the ability of WordPress to be used as a Content Management System (CMS), this site should once and for all answer their question. I works nicely in this role.

Continue reading “Finally… GreenMethods.com v.5” »

To the benefit of the entire industry, I ask that you do the same [help spread the word]

I had once written a text-sizing script, but in the article that accompanied it, I stated I didn’t feel it was really something that was necessary or that should be added to a web page because this is already a function of the browser and really doesn’t bring anything new or marvelous to the table. It’s not that it’s harmful, but rather just needless. Unfortunately, ignorance prevails and lots of people who surf the web don’t know even a fraction of what their browser is capable of. So the responsibility of accommodating the needs of site visitors ends up on the shoulders of the conscientious web developer. But that’s not how it should be.

Continue reading “Feed ‘em for Life: Text Resize” »

The simplest markup is difficult for some people. It’s not that it’s hard (really, it’s not hard at all), but they are intimidated by the unknown. They suffer from FUD: Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. They may be worried about making a mistake and having their web site blow up and end up as some radioactive mushroom cloud, floating over the internet for all to witness. Of course we know these fears are unfounded, and we can even try to explain and simplify processes to the best of our ability, but often fear is deafening; a loud roar that blocks out reason. We are powerless to change this, but there are little things we can do if desperation and imagination are all that’s left.

Continue reading “Getting Clever with WordPress Smilies” »

Set up is a breeze: Copy it. Save it. Load it. Activate it. Use it for whatever.

If you’ve ever wanted an extra page for whatever in your WordPress admin, this is one way to get your wish. On this page you’ll find two scripts for a couple of open-ended plugins. One is the Whatever plugin, and the second one will give you a head start by offering you a Whatever Links plugin script. To use these scripts, just follow the simple instructions at the end of this post. These plugins should work without a problem on all (see comments) current WordPress versions. The protected content these plugins afford could be had via a password protected post or page, but this is more convenient as there’s a single login only and it’s rights managed.

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Web forms are generally accessible if you build them using the proper elements. If you don’t use the proper elements, though, then right out of the starting gate their inherent accessibility is diminished or even lost completely. This article assumes that you have a basic working knowledge of the various form elements and how they are used. This article’s main objective will be to offer some tips for keeping your forms accessible, and in some cases, making them even more accessible than they are by default. So, here are the tips, in no particular order. Oh, and try not to mind my headings… I was feeling creative.

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The Bigfoot was starting to become indistinct as it made its way into the clouds.

Paul started his trek leaving his car at the country store opposite the Wilson Path trail head. Today he planned to summit Mt. Devon via the Wilson-Devon Ridge trail off of Wilson Path. Paul had years of experience as a mountain climber and hiker, but he knew today he was being especially ambitious. The altitude at the trail head was 1,460 feet above sea level. The summit was 9,355 feet. It was going to be a rough day, but he could do it. It is possible, he reminded himself and set off. He didn’t realize it at the time, but he had forgotten to throw his extra layers in his backpack.

Continue reading “Fiction: A Case of Mistaken Identity” »