Web Teacher » NetNeutrality

Useful links: Net Neutrality, PR pitches, data mapping

vdebolt — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:31:38 +0000

NTC Plenary: Moira Gunn and Rep Donna Edwards on Net Neutrality is an interesting account of an important conversation.

I feel kind of bad now from The Bloggess (language warning whenever The Bloggess is involved) is funny but a perfect reflection of the kind of crazy PR email bloggers receive all the time. Jenny’s tactics are much funnier than my tactic.

This video is worth watching. Starting about half-way through, it gets into mapping public conversation and broadcast media in ways that I think you’ll find fascinating. There are many potential implementations of data mapping like this.

Useful links: FCC, Landmark roles, aria-level

vdebolt — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:15:17 +0000

US Broadband: The FCC and Network Neutrality at Wired Pen is a masterful summary of the current state of things.

Adactio has some good advice about WAI-ARIA Landmark roles, HTML5, and CSS attribute selectors.

I asked this question on Quora after some discussion about it here on Web Teacher. So far no one has answered. Do you have an answer?

In HTML5, should aria-level be used with header and hgroup elements as a best practice?

Useful Links: 28 HTML5 Features, Longdesc, Gender & Usability, Net Neutrality

vdebolt — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:55:28 +0000

28 HTML5 Features, Tips, and Techniques you Must Know is an excellent list from Jeffrey Way.

Longdesc may be dropped from the HTML5 spec. Right now it’s in the “let’s argue about it” phase. WebAxe has a discussion by podcast with some folks who examine the issue. The Fate of Longdesc in HTML5.

What’s the fate of the “longdesc” attribute in HTML5? Can or should the “aria-labelledby” ARIA attribute replace it? These are some of the controversial issues discussed by Dennis and guests John Foliot (@johnfoliot), Everett Zufelt (@ezufelt), and Joe Dolson (@joedolson).

Gender Differences in Web Usability. I was fine with this report, until I got to the part about the woman wanting a pink tab.

ReadWriteWeb has a good infographic about net neutrality.

Useful links: mobile WordPress, FCC, Wired Pen, women in science

vdebolt — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 12:31:50 +0000

11 Ways to Create a Mobile Friendly WordPress Site lists plugins and apps that can help with your WordPress site. I need to check out some of these myself. I’m thinking I like either MoFuse or Mobify. Do any of you have an opinion about using either of these plug-ins? I’d appreciate any input.

US Court Rules Against FCC and Net Neutrality. Boo Hiss.

Wired Pen is my recommended blog of the day. Thoughtful, intelligent writing on a variety of topics around tech and media.

Women in Science is a Flickr set from the Smithsonian. Why doesn’t somebody start a modern-day set of Women in Science on Flickr? Why don’t you? I promise I’ll start a public Flickr set for women in tech as soon as I can . . . I’m swamped right now but maybe by next week. Be watching. ADDENDUM: Well, I just did it, time or no time. You’ll find the new group on Flickr. Join in and share your photos of women in technology.

FCC plans rules to enforce net neutrality

vdebolt — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:07:45 +0000

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski announced today that the FCC will create new rules to prevent carriers from blocking, slowing or favoring particular types of content.

The FCC has used four policy princples since 2005 (download PDF) to make decisions around Net Neutrality. Now two more rules are proposed. The new rules take the positions that broadband operators (both wireless and landline) cannot discriminate against Web content and that operators must make network management transparent.

The new rules are not in effect yet. They will be presented to the FCC in an October meeting. I’m sure we’ll see the opposition to Net Neutrality (Comcast, AT&T and other broadband carriers) step up efforts to prevent this from happening. In the meantime, you can keep up with the folks who advocate net neutrality at Save the Internet.

Useful links: usability in tweets, net neutrality, copyrights

vdebolt — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:49:38 +0000

Twitter Postings: Iterative Design from Nielsen’s alertbox takes aim at usability in tweets.

Obama’s FCC to support Net Neutrality at The Hill. So far it’s just a promise, not a behavior.

Your copyright questions answered is a handy summary of copyright basics. Written by a copyright lawyer and published at Book by Its Cover.

Useful Links: Photo Rights, Internet Lexicon, hCard, CollegeDegree

vdebolt — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:58:22 +0000

Understanding Online Photo Rights This article is excellent. A must-read for students.

The Internet Lexicon appeared in honor of OneWebDay and will stay editable for 2 months. Before you try adding a spoof of your favorite Internet personality, read the rules for participation.

Getting Semantic with Microformats, Part 3: hCard A Blog Not Limited is writing the book on microformats. Part 3 contains links to the first two parts, and a promise of what’s to come. Everything you could ever want to know about hCard in this one.

CollegeDegree.com is a valuable reference site. The site specializes in collections of linked resources such as this article: 100 Extensive University Libraries from Around the World that Anyone Can Access

OneWebDay

vdebolt — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:48:19 +0000

Today is OneWebDay. It’s a day to think about issues that are important to the future of the Internet. Here is the list of ideas for how you can help with OneWebDay from the organization’s web site.

How can you help the Web on OneWebDay?

1. If you’re a Web user, use a standards-compliant Web browser like Firefox or Opera. They’re free, faster, and more protective of your privacy. And because they conform to Web development standards, they make things easier for people who make Web sites. If you’re a Web developer, test your sites with the w3c’s Markup Validation Service.

2. Edit a Wikipedia article. Teach people what you know, and in so doing, help create free universal knowledge.

3. Learn about an Internet policy issue from the Center for Democracy and Technology, and teach five other people about it. There are real legal threats that could drastically change the way the Internet works. We should all be aware of them.

4. Take steps to ensure that your computer can’t be treated like a zombie. Computer viruses can steal your personal information. They can also cause major network outages on the Web, slowing things down and making sites inaccessible. Vint Cerf estimates that more than 150 million PCs have already been zombified, and are now awaiting their next order. To learn more about the threat of zombie computers, read this article.

5. Join an Internet rights advocacy group:

Become a member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The EFF has championed the public interest in every critical battle affecting digital rights, from privacy to free speech to Internet service.

Join the Internet Society. ISOC is dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world, particularly by establishing Internet infrastructure standards.

Support Creative Commons by donating and by using their licenses to copyright your work. If you’re outside the U.S., help support their counterpart, iCommons.

6. Help promote public Internet access. If you live in a city, there is likely an organization dedicated to providing free wireless access in public spaces.

7. Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation. The Wikimedia Foundation supports not only Wikipedia, but several other projects to create free knowledge: textbooks, news, learning tools, and more.

8. Donate a computer. You can donate a new $100 laptop to children in impoverished countries, or donate your used computer to Goodwill or a school.

9. Write your OneWebDay story. Talk about what the Internet means to you and why One WebDay matters at http://onewebday.org/stories

10. If your city is hosting a OneWebDay event, show up on September 22 and participate.

I think the concept of net neutrality is the key issue for me. Equal access for all, equal bandwidth for all. A neutral technology that supports a level playing field. Some of what I’ve said before about it is available in the related posts.

Useful Links

vdebolt — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:05:46 +0000

9 Top CSS Essential Skills That Every Web designer Should Learn hits the nail on the head. Are you teaching these nine things?

Comcast Metered Broadband Official — Beware What You Download Wow, makes the FCC’s “reprimand” look like a joke, doesn’t it?