Beast-Blog.com
Mike Cherim's Professional and Personal Web Log

So, you want to have a web site. Hmm. Now what? Do you have the basics of web organization and size? Do you understand the way a web site works in terms of web-specific features? Linking for example, this is something you can now do. It needs to be considered. Have you? I find that many people know that they want a web site, but they really don’t know where to begin. Thus, I offer this article.

Continue reading “Web Site Planning 101” »

Hey, don’t laugh… this could have been you! Coding’s dangerous.

Sure, you may think coding is all glamor, parties, and chicks, but this story will reveal the dark side.

With his coffee consumed and the sun up, The Coder began to work. Today’s project was a script. A rather involved script he had been putting off for more than a week. The Coder knew he’d be at it all day and probably into the night, but it had to be done — there was no more putting it off, even if he had to spend the entire night in his office as he had done so many times in the past. Stopping midway through it, he knew, would be a mistake. His logic back-trail would evaporate.

Continue reading “The Coder” »

Forgive me if I sound blue. I have been beaten up a twice in the span of seven days. Not physically, mind you, but my concerns about web accessibility were dismissed and it’s discouraging. The word accessibility, I have learned, simply does not sell very well and may be summarily rejected. Bring up the word and ears close with an audible snap. It’s distressing. You’re probably wondering what I mean by “beaten up” at this point so let me explain by backing up a bit and telling you about two situations.

Continue reading “That Evil Accessibility Word” »

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.

Continue reading “The Whatever Plugins for WordPress” »

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.

Continue reading “Tips for Keeping Forms Accessible” »