Reading text on a white screen with a poor choice of typography is quite hard to the eyes. User style sheets is an accesibility feature that comes handy for everyone. For example on Safari, we can go to Preferences > Advances and select our custom made style sheet. The changes will apply on every website made in HTML, it won’t work on Flash sites.
Customizing background color and font
If you’re not familiar with CSS coding, you can try out typography.css from the Better Web Readability Project. If you want to hand code your CSS choose a neutral background color, a font designed for the screen and a big font size.
Hiding undesired content
Do you participate in Twitter? If you don’t want to keep track of your followers number, look up the class or ID of the container in Firebug and add a line to your user style sheet.
#follower_count_link{display:none}
User vs Author style sheets
What does user styles sheet meant for designers? Just remember not to abuse on !important declarations, so that the user can adjust the web page to their needs and likes.
A medida que Internet se torna más participativa y además de mirar páginas, empezamos a comprar online y usar aplicaciones basadas en web - desde el simple correo electrónico hasta aplicaciones para gestionar nuestro negocio - empieza a tomar relevancia cuál programa estamos usando.
Usar la última versión del navegador preferido, es altamente recomendable para evitar problemas de seguridad, pero aparte de la seguridad, hay características que nos pueden resultar útiles. A continuación voy a comentar los puntos fuertes de cada navegador (en orden alfabético).
Safari tiene una visualización única de las páginas visitadas, el cover flow de Apple. Tiene también un suavizado de fuentes propio, que hace que las tipografías en tamaños grandes, luzcan asombrosas.
Muchos desarrolladores utilizan el Firefug e YSlow (para Firefox), Safari cuenta con un inspector web y otras herramientas para desarrolladores nativas, que cumple las mismas funciones.
Es ideal para diseñadores y desarrolladores y cualquier persona que valore la calidad hasta en los más mínimos detalles.
Se define como el navegador web social, además de como navegador, funciona como cliente de Facebook, Twitter y otros. Lo estuve probando y me aburrí en 2 días, no le encontré sentido a estar conectada todo el tiempo a Twitter, mientras estoy haciendo otras tareas y algunas funciones no son demasiado claras.
Es ideal para quienes quieran probar algo nuevo, pero todavía le falta desarrollo.
Chrome es el navegador web de Google, está basado en webkit, al igual que Safari. A primera vista, llama la atención su diseño minimalista, pero con el uso, nos damos cuenta, que no le falta nada. La interfase ocupa pocos pixeles y no tiene colores que nos distraigan, lo más importante al usar Google Chrome, es la web, no el programa en sí.
La barra de direcciones y el buscador están integrados y se puede escribir una URL, el nombre de un sitio, palabras claves, etc. y siempre llegamos a nuestro destino. Los sitios más visitados, las pestañas cerradas recientemente, el historial y las descargas, son muy fáciles de usar.
Rendimiento y estabilidad
El rendimiento de Chrome y Safari es excepcional en las páginas que utilizan JavaScript (aplicaciones). Otra ventaja, es que si una pestaña se cuelga, se puede cerrar (con el administrador de tareas) sin afectar al resto.
Chrome es ideal para quienes quieran enfocarse en la productividad.
Los productos de Microsoft, suelen tener muchos detractores con críticas fundadas o infundadas. Es cierto que el Internet Explorer 6 tiene hoy en día fallas graves de seguridad y problemas de visualización, pero en la versión 8 fueron totalmente solucionadas.
Navegación InPrivate (de incógnito)
El ejemplo que se suele poner es que estás comprando un regalo de cumpleaños para alguien y no querés que se entere, pero básicamente sirve para navegar sin dejar rastros de nuestra actividad.
Este navegador es ideal para personas que estén acostumbras a usar los programas de Microsoft (por ejemplo Office), porque les va a resultar familiar.
Firefox tiene muchos complementos. Fuera de eso, no le encuentro ninguna ventaja, No tiene ninguna función exclusiva, que los demás navegadores no tengan. En cuanto al rendimiento, las últimas versiones, son particularmente lentas, sobre todo a la hora de abrir el programa y actualizar los complementos, solicitando frecuentemente reiniciar el programa.
Es ideal para los fanáticos a muerte del software libre o para los crédulos que se convenzan de que es mejor que los demás por la "barra de direcciones alucinante" y la "supervelocidad".
Le han incorporado tantas características que hoy en día suena raro llamarlo navegador a secas, es una suite que incorpora todas las funciones asociadas con la web, pero probablemente es demasiado para la mayoría de los usuarios. Los gestos del mouse, es una función, por ejemplo, que nunca le encontré utilidad ni conozco a nadie que la use.
Turbo
Una de las funciones más interesantes de Opera es Turbo. Sirve para acelerar la navegación cuando detecta que la conexión es lenta, el mecanismo es muy similar al Opera Mini (versión para el celular).
Email, RSS, Torrents
Opera cuenta con un cliente de correo, un lector RSS y un gestor de descargas con BitTorrent, para descargar un torrent cada tanto, es más práctico usar el Opera que un cliente de dudosa procedencia.
Discado rápido y múltiples páginas de inicio
Opera se abre con todas las pestañas con las que se cerró, de esta manera permite tener múltiples páginas de inicio o restaurar la sesión si el programa se cierra por error. Al discado rápido, se pueden agregar 9 sitios para acceder rápidamente, es parecido a los favoritos o marcadores. Hay otros programas que hacen lo mismo, pero Opera fue el precursor.
Opera es ideal para quienes tengan una conexión lenta y para quienes quieran tener todo en uno.
Conclusiones
Basarse exclusivamente en estadísticas de rendimiento o en datos técnicos, no contempla la experiencia del usuario, que es lo más importante cuando se usa un programa tan seguido, como en el caso de los navegadores. Por eso, siempre y cuando esté actualizado, recomiendo usar el navegador con el cual se sientan más cómodos.
En lo personal, uso Chrome, porque me permite realizar mis tareas frecuentes online rápidamente y no desperdicio espacio en la pantalla con mil barras inútiles. ¿Ustedes cuál prefieren y por qué?
Once you send an email, it's gone, you can't edit it. If you want to add someone to the conversation, you have to search and forward messages.
In Google Wave, you can always edit and adding more people is as easy as drag and drop.
Google Wave vs Google Docs
In Google Docs, if you want to know who write it, you have to previously agree in some kind of code to identify each other. You can see the date of the last modification, but have I read it already? Is there something new? Who knows…
In Google Wave, you have the choice to edit or reply at any place in the document / conversation. There's a clear green indicator of unread items.
Google Wave vs Instant Messaging
Sometimes when you're chatting with several people, you have the need to say something in private, so you'll end up with multiple windows open and more chances to make a mistake.
In Google Wave, you can have private conversations inside a public conversation, so you can deliver the message to who you want, without making noise to the others.
Conclusion: Google Wave at the workplace
Google Wave has a good mix of communication and collaboration tools to work in a project with other people. ¿A new member has joined the team? Just add her to the wave, and let her know what you've been doing.
In other words, Google Wave is just great for the workplace.
Conclusion: Google Wave with friends and family
Forwarding a video attachment is a waste of time and resources, but when you are hanging out with friends, who cares about productivity?
For a senior citizen, email is easy, after all is a letter that she can send from the comfort of her home, but a wave, a blip, an extension and a bot… what are you talking about? There are too many new terms. Adding a bot to your contacts, and then to a wave, to perform automated tasks, I can't imagine explaining that to my mother.
For friends and family, stick with Facebook (or email, or better: get together in person!).
Following the instructions on this article and downloading the files from this site, I installed Google Chrome OS.
Starting
Login with a Google Account is a good concept, because you don't need one more extra password and you log in Google at the same time. On the other hand, I had personal and business accounts, so I need to be able to login at different websites with different credentials, I don't think this will be possible without restarting.
The Operating System
It's just a browser! There are 2 icons, a battery indicator and an option to turn in/off the Wi-Fi, and nothing more. There's a big icon that apparently is a menu, but nothing happens, so we're going to be patient and wait till next year to fully test the OS.
The OS concept
Google's OS is the first OS with a concept behind: accessing Internet very fast (7 seconds). As a graphic designer, I can't give up all the desktop software, but I think it's a good idea for some people. Way too minimal maybe.
At this stage, I've seen a more appealing Linux version for netbooks, but it's nice to have more Open Source options.
Axure has a two side panels, so the working space is small. It has too many options and it seems quite difficult for doing a quick wireframe. Sometimes you have an idea and you want to draw it, and the complexity of this software gets in the way.
Balsamiq is probably the most popular software. It has a sketchy feeling that looks kind of cute, but also childish, I don't see myself showing that to a client. The preview of the components is not very clear, I had to drag some to the working area to see what they were. I loved the grid at first sight, but it didn't help me much. It has good keyboard support (CTRL+C, CRTL+V).
FlairBuilder has two different themes (classic and sketchy). You can see the measure of the elements while you draw, so if you want an specific width, you don't need further editing. It has a design and a preview mode, in preview, the videos and maps really work!
Type: Web app | Price: Free (limited), US$ 50/year
The elements can be aligned using guide lines that work similar to Adobe Flash. Besides the default library, you can add more, for example cursors and different browser windows.
The working area is tiny, there are not many components and they are all desktop software oriented. The point of wireframing is no to insert every single image, so "no image" is ridiculous.
The Choice
Both Flair Builder and Mockflow have the functionalities I want (components library and building interactivity). For wireframing they are more expensive than what I expected, but you can substitute the placeholders for actual images, change colors, etc. so the wireframe can evolve and depending on the project, you can jump to the coding stage without using other software in the middle.
I choose Mockflow, because since it is web based, I can use it at home (in my desktop or my laptop) and at the office, without paying for additional licenses.
The easiest way to understand a new technology is to compare it with something known. For example, a car is a carriage without the horses, e-mail is a letter without paper, a mobile phone is a phone without the wire and so on. You can explain almost everything in that format.
Almost. Twitter is like ___ without ____. And Google Wave? Well, I think you have to be a user of Twitter and Google Wave to understand what are they about or what are they good for. When it comes to communication tools, you obviously need someone to communicate with, because the value of the tool is linked to what your friends are doing with it. I've using Wave for only a couple of days, and at first glance is hard to understand where to start. Plus, the only way in is by invitation, so not everybody is there yet.
Let's wave together!
If you want to add me to your contacts, I'm natalia.ventre[at]@googlewave.com
I have 18 invitations left, if your are interested, send me a DM at Twitter, a message via FaceBook, or whatever you like, with your email.
When we start a new project, we face the question to make a static site (HMTL) or a dynamic (database driven) website. To use or not to use a CMS.
Reasons for using a CMS
the content is updated frequently
the content is updated by the average Joe
you need features, such as a search box, and you are not a programmer
Reasons against using a CMS
the content is unlikely to be updated
CMSs come with too many features that you are not going to use
CMSs are hard to customize
CMSs are not secure and not SEO friendly
No updating the content frequently is a bad idea from the SEO point of view and besides the content always needs some degree of updating. Maybe a phone number changed, maybe now you are selling a new product, The content always changes.
You can change that hardcoded content, that's right, but who really can do it? You need to know HTML or have the right software to edit and upload a web page, it not that hard, but even for the most skilled, it takes time. Changing a phone number can take a couple of minutes, but adding a new page, integrate it (link it) to the rest of the site, uploading it, well…, that takes a little longer. Would you rather waste time making little changes or work in a new more profitable project? if you have a CMS whoever can log in and update the site right away.
You do need a content management system, now the question boils down to choosing the right CMS or go for a custom development. I'll discuss this topic in an upcoming post. Subscribe to the RSS feed to read on this matter.
Todat Twitter and TweetDeck launched 2 promising new features.
Twitter Lists
Now you can organize the people your are following on Twitter in lists, (like in FriendFeed or FaceBook), plus other people can suscribe to the list (if the list is public, of course).
There's a bug, you can't create a list called "blog" because you can't add people and the link redirects to blog.twitter.com
New Followers Column
The version released today of TweetDeck allows you to add a new Twitter column: New Followers, so now you don't need to read Twitter emails notifications of new followers and can manage them straight from TweetDeck, Congrats to Ian Dodsworth for this extremely useful new feature :)
WordPress uses TinyMCE, a very complete WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor. It's similar to Word, which is good for most users, but what if you're more like a notepad type of person?
You can disable the visual editor, and write HTML. I know HTML, so that's not a problem for me, but creative writing and coding don't mix well.
I first met Markdown when I was using Tumblr. Markdown has a simple philosophy: easy writing, easy reading. If you want to format a title, for example, you type this:
This is a title ===============
or
# This is a title
Then Markdown translates this into HTML code, so in the web page, there's gonna be a H1 tag.
Benefits of Markdown:
The keyboard is faster than the mouse. Typing some characters is faster than moving the mouse to the right place, selecting text, moving again the mouse, selecting an option from a menu or pressing a button.
It looks pretty natural, you have to learn how to do it, but most styles are you're probably already doing in a .txt file.
How to install Markdown
Install the Markdown plugin and disable the text editor and you're ready to go.
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