Finally, a great Conference iniciative here in Lisbon. I’ll do my best to help. More details soon.
Archive for the ‘Web standards’ Category
SHIFTing
Monday, July 17th, 2006World Usability Day 2005
Sunday, October 30th, 2005
It’s next Thursday, 3 November: World Usability Day. To commemorate, the Portuguese Usability Professionals Association (with local leader Humaneasy Consulting) is putting together the Second Usability Seminar, a day full of presentations from some of our specialists.
Last year, I highly praised the initiative, a first here in Portugal. I had been talking and writing about usability for some time, and (almost) no one seemed to listen. But it happened. We started discussing one of the most crucial aspects of the Web and its future quality. This seminar was very basic in content, especially for those of us familiar with usability, but I’m sure it was very useful for those just starting. I got to know some of my colleagues, and that was great.
This year I’m hoping to see an advance in terms of content, so that Usability Professionals can benefit from this day. It’s time we started really getting into the subjects. I’m also hoping that next year, there may be the chance to have a couple of international guest speakers. It would certainly be an important boost for “the cause”. I’ll sure do my share. See you on Thursday! 
2º Seminário de Usabilidade
Friday, October 28th, 2005Dia 3 de Novembro, a próxima 5a feira, comemora-se o Dia Mundial da Usabilidade. E em Portugal realiza-se a segunda edição do Seminário de Usabilidade.
O ano passado foi uma estreia que louvei, pois finalmente se começou a falar nestes assuntos fundamentais para o presente e futuro da Web. Foi um seminário que a mim, por já conhecer a área, naturalmente não me ensinou grande coisa.
Mas tinha de ser assim, como que uma introdução, para o público em geral ficar a saber o que afinal é a usabilidade, e com que disciplinas se relaciona. Foi uma óptima ocasião para testar as águas e, para mim, de conhecer outros profissionais da mesma área, visto que em Portugal ainda funciona o lema do “conhecimento escondido”. A informação ainda é poder, mas a partilha da informação, não a sua ocultação para usos de conveniência. Mas isso são contas de outros rosários.
No que à edição deste ano diz respeito, prevejo que se dê um salto em termos de conteúdo, para que também os profissionais possam sair com algum valor acrescentado. E mais, que para o ano, já possamos ter a presença de algumas presenças internacionais, para que a partilha seja global.
Last week is gone
Wednesday, September 28th, 2005My last week of vacation this year went by. Loads of rest, and some problem solving. It was nice.
Around:
- 10 Reasons Clients Don’t Care About Accessibility, by Christian Heilmann. At Digital Web Magazine.
- No Mr. Ballmer, Microsoft Will Not Win the Web, by Molly E. Holzschlag
- Steve Krug’s Usability Workshop in London
. I am so sad I won’t make it.
A List Apart redesign
Thursday, August 25th, 2005So here it is, the fourth generation of the most respected A List Apart. This is one of the online resources I have relied the most upon to learn new techniques. Their latest edition includes a discussion of PDF accessibility, by Joe Clark; Jim Coudal on Business Blogging and more; and Jeffrey Zeldman takes on a journey back in time, through the different ALA designs. Enjoy.
Web Foundations 2005 (in Spain)
Tuesday, July 19th, 2005After @media, comes Fundamentos Web2005 – Accessibility, Usability and Web Standards International Meeting. This is great news. Finally, we’re starting to see real change. There are more and more professionals developing with Web Standards, having real care with Usability and Accessibility matters, and doing things “the right way”. And this creates the need for this kind of conferences, where a lot happens. I find these occasions great motivators, both for speakers and attendees. Things really change afterwards.
Another fact that makes me very happy is that conferences are getting closer to Portugal. I’m betting next year they’ll get here. Let’s keep going!
Some more @media2005 – can’t get enough
Wednesday, June 15th, 2005WAI Web Accessibility Best Practices Training / 5 July 2005 / Lisbon, Portugal
Tuesday, June 14th, 2005Finally, the W3C discovers Portugal! There is a great need for trainings such as this one. I hope the language isn’t too techie to scare away many web professionals, not acquainted with accessibility and Web Standards issues. Keep it simple and make the benefits clear. Make it also clear that accessibility is much much more than a AAA seal of approval on a Web site. I’ll be there, and will share my thoughts here. Please let me know if you’ll be there, so we can meet and share some ideas.
“Registration is now open for the Web Accessibility Best Practices Training on 5 July 2005 in Lisbon, Portugal as part of the WAI-TIES Project (WAI – Training, Implementation, Education, Support). This training is hosted by Programa Acesso da UMIC (ACESSO Program of the Knowledge Society Agency in the Ministry of Science, Technology & High Education).
The Web accessibility training will be in English and will cover the following topics:
- An introduction to evaluating and retrofitting Web sites for accessibility
- An overview of resources that are available to help carry out an evaluation review
- Detailed instruction on evaluating links, tables, on-line forms, images, and scripts
There is no registration fee for the training; however, pre-registration is required. There are a limited number of spaces, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration will close when spaces are filled.”
@media 2005 – Day 2
Tuesday, June 14th, 2005I’m back home in Lisbon, and will finally report on day 2 of the excellent @media 2005.
I didn’t make it to the @media Party. I wasn’t feeling very well, so I went home to rest. I’m sure I missed a lot of fun and chances to network. Oh well, there will be others.
“Tactical Manoeuvres” by Douglas Bowman was a great start to the day. He took us behind the scenes of the Blogger redesign. It’s hard work.
Jeremy Keith took us on a journey into “The Behaviour Layer: Using JavaScript for good, not evil”. He introduced the concept of ‘Good Turtle, Bad Turtle’, and cleared some misconceptions that JavaScript can’t go together with Accessibility. As he put it, JavaScript is not bad… it’s what some people do with it that is evil 
After a tea break came another great presentation by my good friend Molly E. Holzschlag, entitled “Web Standards Workflow”. First, she addressed some questions that had emerged the previous day about the activities WasP was involved in. Then she went on to take a generic glance of past, present and future of developing with Web Standards, and how we can expect to be working in the near future.
After lunch, Joe Clark ‘Zoomed the Web’. He demonstrated the difficulties some users will face, when having to use the zoom tools of their browsers. And they are not few, users AND problems.
The last Speaker of the Conference was Andy Clarke, who gave a designers perspective of web development with a touch of controversy, and that is always welcome!
The wind down party was great also. I had a chance to chat with a few people, whose names I have to remember soon.
This was, as I bet all of us present agree, a great success. One could feel the need for such an event on the faces and interest of the attendees.
I left with a few good ideas to put to practice. One of those is to give another try in creating a group of Portuguese professionals developing with Web Standards. Keep checking this space.
In the meantime, countdown for @media 2006 has already started.