James Oppenheim’s blog

IE8 has just announced that it renders the Acid2 Face Test correctly.

Wow, this is huge news for all Font-end Developers (FEDs) around the world. Not to mention all the users that browse the web with Internet Explorer by default. This is a huge step considering the considerable flack Microsoft is getting at the moment from Opera.

As a comparison I thought I would see how other web browsers managed with the Acid2 test, Browser Shots will enlighten us all.

All we have to do now is wait for IE8 to be released and subsequently adopted.

Technorati Tags: Web Standards, Acid2 Test, IE8, Web

Ever wondered if websites need to look exactly the same in every browser? Well the world renowned front-end developer and author Dan Cederholm answers the question on a new domain:

http://dowebsitesneedtolookexactlythesameineverybrowser.com/

You have to love the length of the domain name!

Technorati Tags: CSS, Web Standards, Interesting Website, Dan Cederholm, Simple Bits, Areeba

Recently my site clocked up 32,000 Spam comments. Yes that is correct, 32,000 in just over a year! Spam is the bane of my existence. Why do people do it? It must be working!? Surely not, I don’t need a Rolex watches, diet pills or to increase my credit limit.

AARRRRHHHH!!!!

n a side note, I don’t think I have ever used so many exclamation marks in a post! How about some more for good measure!!!

Down with Spam. Up with good quality content!

Technorati Tags: Spam, Website, Blog comment spam

My previous lack of blog post can be contributed to a number of miscellaneous, but somewhat connected factors including: moving house, changing jobs, working an extra job, but most of all no internet access at home. It is definitely a truism to say that being a web developer requires the Internet. One would have though that this is as obvious as an old cheese festering in a hot Australia summer. I have the internet at work, however, this really makes me appreciate how much I use it at home for random activities like: wasting time on Facebook, looking up movie times, doing web related research, reading RSS feeds, sending personal emails, looking up recipes, but most of all bloggging.

But one thing to come out of this lack of Internet is the subsequent research unveiling the relatively new concept in Australian broadband: naked DSL. No this is not a new version of a DSL plan for 18 year olds and over. It is a DLS plan where you don’t need a phone line. Wow, that would be great, because I must admit I would not need a home phone if it were not for the Internet. But there is a catch, I have to wait until December for Australian ISP’s to release their plans. Oh well I am sure I will come up with a solution in the mean time.

Technorati Tags: Blogging, Personal, Australia, Naked DSL

I heard the legend, I drooled at the description, I pondered my manliness, I had to try the famous, no wait, infamous Cathedral burger at the Igloo Roadhouse. Kym did not take much convincing. The lure of a road trip with greasy food was easily enough to bait her hook, line and sinker. After all, she is a fun loving girl! But more accurately she did not want to feel like she was missing out on my adventure to validate myself, and anyway, she could always point and laugh if I failed.

So off we went: zooming down the Maroondah Highway; coasting through the Yarra Valley and the obligatory Hot Air Balloons; salivating through Healesville at the thought of the almighty burger; winding through the Black Spur and the trees that make you feel two feet tall; and finally speeding into Buxton in an attempt to stop our hungrily grumbling stomaches.

So there we were standing outside the Igloo Roadhouse in Buxton, a little overwhelmed at the gravity of the situation and what we were about to attempt. Carefully entering the esteemed establishment, both Kym and I took a while to take in our surroundings. Like a predator stalking its pray we stealthy glided up to the counter to order, ‘one Buxton Burger and a Cathedral thanks’. Silence… Maybe us city slickers cannot be in these parts. As I mustered up the valour to ask again we heard ‘nice one mate!’ from the cook behind the counter as the kitchen began to fill up with smoke from the sizzling onion, egg and pineapple.

We had done it. We were waiting in a roadhouse for our destiny to appear from behind the glass counter. There were many questions, ‘will I pass out from an overload of mince?’, ‘what happens if my egg yoke oozes onto my fingers?’. When the two glorious specimens of Australian roadhouse dinning finally arrived there was no time to think. Instinct took over and we chowed down like it was 1959. Just one moment to digress if I may, for those uninitiated in the adventure sport of big burger eater to help overcome the shear girth of the three hamburger patties use both hands to squish it down like a pancake and leave the wooden skewer in as long as possible to avoid the inevitable rear end meat and salad explosion. Done, finished, my childhood dreams realised, all I could see now was a large plate where once the beast had been as I drifted in and out of consciousness in a haze of burger goodness.

Triumphantly leaving the roadhouse in a cloud of dust behind us from my 1989 Ford Laser we decided we needed to walk off the massive amount of grease we had just ingested. So we headed through the mist to the Cathedral Range State Park. Incidentally for those of us who love massive blocks of chainsaw carved tree trunks, Dean Smith Dancing Bear Sculptor is worth a visit, even if it is only a fleeting one. After an hour and a half an uphill hiking, we reached the Cathedral Peak to be meet by an amazing view of far reaching mountain plains and a valley soaked in mist. With our bellies full and our harts and minds rejuvenated we bounded back down the hillside and drove off to the Healesville pub for a rewarding beer and an end to a fantastic adventure.

Related Posts

• Caravan Cafe: a burger to remember, Seymour style

Technorati Tags: Burger, Hamburger, Igloo Roadhouse, Road trip, Cathedral Rangers, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Recently while I was at work pondering what the most semantically correct way to markup a set of search results I realised that Google is 1) smarter that me and 2) rules my life. I can’t stop using Google products from Google Analytics, Google Reader, Gmail, Google maps, Google Earth, Google Trends to even the good old Google web search. One would be forgiven to think that Google is the Internet! Whenever I have a problem at work I open up Google and type in the a search phrase on the problem I need to solve. Then in under a second, bingo, there it is the answer to all my problems. No I do not work for Google, I just love their search engine and yes I do spend a lot of time on the internet.

All this got me thinking; ‘Wow, Google has some very impressive features’. So I decided to put together a list of some of the more handy Google specific search features.

Google time search

Google measurement search

Google currency converter

Google calculator

Google location search

Google business search

As you can see Google has some very impressive features that makes sure it stays number one in the search engine market. One can only dream of what they will come up with next. But for those of us who can’t wait it is always worth a sneak peak into the future at Google Labs to see the latest Google prototypes that have not quite hit the prime time.

Happy Googling!

Technorati Tags: Google, Web, Personal, SEO

I recently had a large bout of spy ware on my PC, which consequently left my computer paralysed and unable to connect to the Internet! This can be kind of frustrating when you are a web developer: there is only so much I can do on my localhost.

Fortuity, after countless hours spent trying to debug the situation I remembered that Windows XP has a feature called System Restore. System Restore automatically backs up registry and system files whenever you install new software or drivers. System Restore returns your computer to an earlier time (called a restore point) without causing you to lose recent work, such as saved files, history and favourite lists. What’s more, all changes made by System Restore are completely reversible, what more could you want.

To find System Restore go to your start menu then: All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore.

Technorati Tags: Windows XP, System Restore, spy ware

I have been working in the web design industry for a number of years now and I am still unsure of exact requirements for disability rights and Australian websites. With today being blogging against disablism day I thought I should find out.

America has Section 508. But does Australia have anything requiring electronic technology developed in Australia to be accessible?

One thing for sure is that all websites need to be navigated and read by everyone, regardless of location, experience, or the type of computer technology used. This is outlined in the Australian Human rights & equal opportunity commission’s ‘World Wide Web Access: Disability Discrimination Act Advisory Notes‘. But what does this mean for Australian web developers? Do we have to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines priority 1, 2 or 3? And if so, who is enforcing these laws?

There has been one legal case concerning Web accessibility known as Maguire vs. SOCOG, where SOCOG was sued because its website was seen to be inaccessible. This shows us that inaccessible websites can and are seen as illegal!
Therefore, while not being specifically law, it looks like it is up to the web developer, company or client to decided on a moral or commercial grounds weather the website they are building should be done with accessibility in mind.

I don’t think this is the right situation. Maybe there should be an Australian law enforcing all website to be built in an accessible manner? But more importantly, I believe there should be more resources and eduction on building usable and accessible websites that can be used by anyone with any technology and disability.

Technorati Tags: accessibility, web, Australia, disability rights, Blogging Against Disablism Day

I just completed the 2007 Web Design Survey and wow was it easy. There is a distinct lack of quantitative data around about the web design industry, so if you are a web designer I encourage you to go to A List Apart and fill out the survery.

Whats more it only took me five minutes and I am in the winning for an Apple 30GB video iPod, an Event Apart jump drive, or a funky A List Apart T-shirt.

Come on you know you want to.

Technorati Tags: 2007 Web Design Survey, A List Apart, web, interesting sites

This morning I went hot air ballooning over Melbourne. Wow, what an amazing experience! We flew with a company called Balloon Sunrise, I can’t speak highly enough of them - very professional, safe, efficient and funny. Whats more there was a glass of champaign with our 5 star buffet breakfast at the Grand Hyatt to finish off, how could it get any better.

Hot air ballooning was an inspiring experience, silently floating over Melbourne’s CBD enabled us to gain a birds eye view of some of Melbourne’s most famous landmarks - Port Phillip Bay, The Arts Centre, MCG and the Bolte Bridge. I was even considering become a hot air balloon pilot, although I think that whim was more full of hot air than anything else!?!

Hot air ballooning at sunrise provided some fantastic photo opportunities. I will upload them to my Flickr page, so watch out for some hot air.

Technorati Tags: hot air ballooning, Melbourne, Australia, Balloon Sunrise