Microsoft vs. Apple and the future of CSS3

In the war for the way that websites will behave and function in the future, Microsoft and Apple are at it again.

Apple has recently proposed additions to CSS3 to the CSS Working Group that would drastically change the web experience both from a developer and a user’s point of view. Microsoft on the other hand, feels that the CSS WG is taking too long is devising a set of standards and has announced that Internet Explorer 8, whenever it comes out, will not include CSS3 and that when they start developing IE9, it will include Microsoft’s own set of CSS standards.

Microsoft setting its own web standards and hoping everyone else complies? Gasp. Granted, Microsoft is still the biggest player on the browser market by far and can afford to buck the CSS Working Group because it knows that IE8 and likely IE9 will still be sitting on a huge market share for the foreseeable future. But why doesn’t Microsoft play nice? Why not work with the Working Group to include things they would like to include as part of an overall standard rather than once again making it difficult for developers to create a unified web experience across all platforms? Because they’re Microsoft, that’s why and they don’t have to live by anyone else’s rules.

Yes, the CSS Working Group has been at times slow, unwieldy and bureaucratic. Yes, the development of CSS3 has been a long process, in some ways as it should be. It should be thorough and as comprehensive as it can be— once completed it will be the standard for the next decade or more and anyone who has to try and predict the needs of the next decade has one hell of a task ahead of them.

With the birth of Internet Explorer 7, which was leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor in terms of standards compliance and its ability to properly render common, modern web elements, it was hoped that Microsoft, under pressure from players like Mozilla and Apple who are constantly nipping away bits of IE’s market share, was coming into the fold as it were in terms of standards compliance and one day we would have one rendering standard across many browsers and we would all hold hands and sing and everything would be perfect.

But we’re far from that. With Apple, Mozilla and Opera all moving forward inch by inch with CSS3 and Microsoft turning its 800 pound gorilla back on the CSS Working Group, it almost seems like after advances made with IE7 that IE8 and beyond might return to the Neanderthal days of having to use separate IE style sheets, hacks or IE selectors in order to have users across all platforms to have a similar experience.

IE Platform Architect Chris Wilson had this to say on Microsoft’s decision:

“Other browsers and standards break the web, so CSS.2012 is our best effort at fixing it. It will be tightly integrated into .NET and Silverlight, and initially will only work in IE9. Other browsers will be able to license the technology after a few years, when we judge it is stable. Then they can’t break the web.”

Other browsers breaking the web? I’m sorry, I can’t breathe I’m laughing so hard. IE6 is an absolute nightmare and while IE7 is leaps and bounds above, it still is lacking in certain aspects of standards compatibility. So what Microsoft is saying is that with IE9, if you’ve been very good, Microsoft will allow you the pleasure of paying for the license for their technology and paying them again if you want to get certified. But they can do that, because they’re Microsoft.

The irony is of course that of the reasons that Microsoft has been losing browser market share to Apple and Mozilla, one has been security, which Microsoft has addressed with its plethora of highly visible bells and whistles all over IE7 but the other has been page rendering. Frankly, pages just look better in Safari and Firefox and for the most part, developers find Internet Explorer a bane on their existence and will often try to push users away from the Big Blue E because of its poor standards compliance. So years from now when developers are happily using the tools of CSS3 to create fantastic interactive websites, they’ll still be fighting the uphill battle with IE.

But enough about Microsoft. What does Apple bring to the table?

Apple has been working closely with the CSS WG in order to try and advance the web experience even further— into the 4th dimension even. As if it weren’t exciting enough to think about things like easy rounded corners with CSS, easy media embedding, image alpha transparency, multiple backgrounds and Boolean attribute selectors (drool.. Boolean attribute selectors), they’ve recently proposed additions to CSS3’s abilities that at first may perhaps seem unnecessary, but upon closer examination really push the web experience over a brand new horizon.

Three things that Apple has put in front of the CSS WG:

CSS Animation Using CSS to create image animations using keyframes. While there’s plenty of room for exciting new uses of this, like replacing bulky Flash and animated gifs with CSS, it’s hard to say whether animation should be a function of styling language. On the other hand, this will definitely open up a level of excitement to web developers who either don’t like Flash and animated gifs or who want animated effects without the weight of a Flash element on their page.

CSS Transform Using CSS to allow the user to be able to resize and position elements within a space. This could provide for some interesting new aspects of interactivity and customization for the user in web site design. Again, this is something that right now can only be imitated in Flash or with Javascript. Imagine the ability to interact with an move around elements on a website with minimal outside rendering other than just the browser’s own interpretation of the CSS.

CSS Transition Allowing an object to change properties over time. For example, a box can change from red to purple to blue over a set period of time. Much like the CSS Animation property, this could be very valuable in reducing page load by removing hefty things like Flash and animated gifs or pngs that normally would do this. Moves CSS into the 4th dimension. As long as it’s not over-used and becomes the new blink tag. I’m sure there would be some incredibly awful skull-splitting sites that will be created from this, but people have been doing that with animated gifs for years.

CSS Variables This has been requested since 1998 at which time it was proposed that instead of changing several different variables within a style sheet, the designer should be able to define site-wide variables that can be changed and worked with dynamically. This could streamline some processes, but some of this functionality can already be achieved through smart use of class selectors.

Example: @variables { CorporateLogoBGColor: #fe8d12; }

div.logoContainer { background-color: var(CorporateLogoBGColor); }

Of these changes, I’m sure that if Apple or Mozilla were in a similar market share position as Microsoft, either company might be tempted to wield its strong arm against the others to accept its standard. However there are plenty of ways that Microsoft can continue to be relevant in the coming decades other than pushing its backwards web standards on the rest of us. Perhaps one day all browsers will have a similar standard of rendering web pages and everyone can be happy and still have their own piece of the pie, but not this day. The idea that CSS3 and IE8 would save web developers hours of headaches apparently are not to be.

Maybe Internet Explorer 11?

You can find out more about CSS3 at CSS3.info

The Zen of SEO

The zen of SEO

I heart SEO. All dreamy eyes and love notes aside; I really love the basic concept behind search engine optimization. That’s part of why anyone who spends more than 10 minutes in my company gets to hear me drone on about the philosophical zen of search engine algorithms. But most people aren’t that far along in the online marketing relationship and they might not understand my what the heck all this hubbub is about and why is it so important.

Search engines have the daunting task of trying to deliver relevant & quality search results. It sounds simple, but anyone who has spent any time browsing the internet understands that (unfortunately) there is a ton of crap out there. And how do they decide what makes one site better than its competitor? How are they able to return those results in a fraction of a second while constantly evolving to stay competitive? At Coalmarch we have taken on the task trying to improve every aspect of site building to ensure that we are all working toward building a great product for our clients. And because delivering great sites is top on the search engine’s agenda AND on top of our agenda, our sites rank well and everybody wins. Here’s a glimpse into our departments and how the we have taken the philosophy of search engine optimization and used that to create a great end product of our clients.

Web Design

Our graphic designers go beyond just making your site look great - we utilize clean CSS and intelligent information architecture to make sure visitors can easily see what the site has to offer and get to the pages that they are looking for. Good graphic designers go beyond just “lookin’ pretty” to ensure that you can browse with ease!

Web Programming

Our web programmers don’t just make sure everything works properly on the site, but go above and beyond to ensure that our sites have clean, optimized code that is W3 compliant for site-impaired browsing and display consistency across browsers. The clean code makes sure that search engine bots don’t get tripped up on site, and it makes sure that the site performs as you expect it will.

Technical Support & Hosting

When something doesn’t work on your site - whether its a piece of third party software or you are having server problems, your site is turning away visitors and the search engines. Our hosting & support teams works to ensure that you are doing business online 24/7 with a 99.99% uptime. Our servers are also optimized to return your site as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Search Engine Optimization

Now that you’ve got a great site - we work hard to create optimized content that is relevant and original and easy for visitors to navigate and get the information they need. We use lots of other factors onsite to so that the entire site echoes your theme and communicates exactly what you want it to - to both search engines as well as human visitors. Outside of the magic that happens onsite, we also increase brand presence on the web by participating in relevant communities & forums to get your name out to the masses!

Search engines have come into the scene and have given web development firms a way to work toward a common goal. Search engines aren’t just about the ranking, its about measuring the quality and relevance of your site. Its an easy way for an entire team to manage their progress and the effectiveness of their output. And beyond my personal love affair with SEO, Coalmarch as a team of designers, programmers, systems administrators and marketers have all come together to create great websites that look great, work well, deliver results and foster successful business online. We’re tapping into the karmic potential of creating good things - and getting good things in return. And for our clients, its great news to have an entire team of experts working together for a common goal of delivering a great end product.

There is an entire philosophy behind search engine results that takes in accessibility, usability, aesthetics, relevance and more but its all geared toward just making the internet work better - for you. If you are ready to take your site to the next level - contact us to see how we can help you.

Come Meet Us!

If you are interested in learning more about SEO and how it applies to you, Coalmarch is hosting a meetup in Raleigh on May 7th that is open to anyone that wants to attend, no matter their skill level or experience and its free. It called SEO - What You Need To Know and you can learn more about it by visiting the link below or contacting us for more information. If you’re in the area - we’d love to meet you.

SEO - What You Need To Know Meetup

Findability, Orphan of the Web Design Industry

Aarron Walter from A List Apart has written a very good piece on “Findability”, which takes a fresh new look at often overlooked aspects of web design.

Once upon a time in a web design agency, there lived a sad little boy named Findability. He was a very good boy with a big heart for helping people…

http://www.alistapart.com/articles/findabilityorphan

New Push for Standards Compliance

The Web Standards Project today released their new push for standards compliance in web browsing applications. In their press release they turn standards compliance into an exciting opportunity, envisioning a friendly “race to the finish” to be able to claim browser glory.

The article on Wikipedia has a brief background of the situation, along with some updated statistics and links to the respective software development groups involved in the effort.

This is all very exciting for those of us in the web design and development arena, because any standards compliance efforts that come to fruition make it easier, cleaner, cheaper, better, and more enjoyable for the end user. If you are new to the scene or just being introduced to the hidden technologies that make the web look and function, just know this: standards compliance means a level of consistency across browsers to ensure that any given bit of code looks, works, and provides a consistent user experience. Discrepancies in the way browsers are implemented require specialized workarounds to nudge in the direction of standards compliance. This takes more time and effort, and forces users to load more data into their browser that they may not have otherwise needed (causing slower page loads).

The worst offender in terms of compliance (and in popular use today), is Internet Explorer 6 (IE6). Released in the summer of 2001, this browser revision is rapidly approaching its seventh birthday. Being seven years of development behind is showing itself quite bluntly. More than half of the IE users have switched to the newer, faster seventh revision in the IE family. With talk of IE8 on the horizon, I fear that we’ll still be dealing with the issues of IE6 for a while longer.

If you are looking for a faster, safer, and more enjoyable web experience, switching to Firefox or upgrading to IE7 really make a big difference. Businesses have already had IE7 pushed to them as an important security update, but the home user - quite unfortunately - has not had IE7 automatically updated.

In this brand new era of standards compliance, if the visitors of our websites are not embracing the bastions of modern software, we are confined by the limited capabilities of outdated technology.

3D Modeling, Yeah - We do that.

Recently I got the most random of random phone calls. Alex Ostroy called me to tell me:

“Hey, I saw your work on Luxology.com and I think you’ve got some nice stuff.”

I sank back into my chair just about ready to let yet another cold-caller know that I wasn’t buying anything when he basically offered me a job. He was in bad shape on a project he was doing for a little weekly magazine you might have heard of because he was using software he wasn’t intimately familiar with. Having been a long time user of modo I told him not to worry too much and that I’d help him however I could.

What followed was a many-houred session of technical assessment of his scene file to get some embossing looking just right on the outer curvature of the large whiskey bottle. Additionally I helped out with some of the materials elsewhere in the piece.

We don’t advertise some of the varied services we offer here but one thing is constant and perfectly illustrated in this case. When we look to bring new people into the team we always look for at least one extra thing that people are passionate about. In my particular case it’s 3d modeling and sometimes illustration. The serendipity of this case is almost too tantalizing to avoid.

Since then he’s come back for more and I (for myself) sincerely hope we can get something more substantial going in the nearest of all possible futures.

His response to the work we were able to provide?

“Thomas assistance proved invaluable, I had actually tried working with a few other Modo users, but they seemed like they were just a page ahead of me in the manual, Thomas knew his stuff cold and his generosity knows no bounds” -Alex Ostroy

Thanks Alex… Thanks.

About Our Relationship…

I just want to know where I stand with “us”.

When we first met, there were some awkward formalities. I wasn’t sure what words I could use around you. I initially felt inclined to speak of you only by your proper name, the “World Wide Web”. It took some quality time and getting to know you before I could let “www” flow easily. Now I even throw in playful banter like “internets” and “the interweb”. Once we were over the first hurdle we quickly skipped past “electronic mail” and even “E-mail” to settle on “email” without a flinch. Other terms soon followed falling into that comfortable pace; printout, online, offline, etc. We were on a roll.

That is, until an office discussion about “Web site” v. “web site” v. “web-site” v. “website” set those old doubts and jitters creeping back in. Was I presumptuous to automatically take our familiar path of “website” without thinking twice? I mean, I feel like our familiar pet names should be considered the primary acceptable form. With my confidence slightly shaken, I needed some justification.

All geek-core romantic net-lovin’ ways aside, there has definitely been a gray area in our relationship with the internet and its neologistic influences. How far have we come? Where do we stand? I started asking around:

-www.Dictionary.com (The Unabridged version, mind you) prefers you use “Web site” but will also accept “web site” and “web-site”. No love here. The American Heritage Dictionary feels the same way. Old boys’ club-ish? Perhaps. (Ironically, however - Dictionary.com has this Usage Note to offer: The Transition from World Wide Web site to Web site to website as a single uncapitalized word mirrors the development of other technological expressions which have tended to take unhyphenated forms as they become more familiar. Thus email is gaining ground over the forms E-mail and e-mail, especially in texts that are more technologically oriented. Similarly, there is an increasing preference for closed forms like homepage, online, and printout.)

-The American Heritage Science Dictionary is sitting on the fence with the primary entrance reading “website or Web site”. We call copout.

-WorldNet (via Princeton University) and The Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing go full force with “website” as the primary term.

(All these dictionary references coming from one source, www.dictionary.com).

So far, its a tie game but I’m dictionaried out at this point and start to look for camaraderie via other sites and blogs.

It turns out there was a flare of arguments around 2003 surrounding the subject, so we recap with the slightly out dated Debbie Wiel (http://www.wordbiz.com/newsletter/websitespelling.html). Debbie seems like a friendly lady, which is probably why she fails to take a clear stance on the issue. A survey of her subscribers show that 65% preferred the familiar “website” while 35% chose the proper from “Web site”. Unlike her logo (email us Debbie! We can help!), Debbie’s legions seem fairly forward thinking. Perhaps that is why she decides to bring in some formal reinforcement via Norman Goldstein, editor of the AP Stylebook who responded with this quote from 2003:

“Style,” in the sense we’re talking about, really means a preference (in spelling or punctuation or capitalization or usage) when there is a choice to be made. AP made the choice of “Web site” for what we thought were very good, language-based, reasons. Others are free to use their preference - as long as it is clear to a reader and consistent.

However, none of us can claim to create a “new language,” for the Internet, or elsewhere. (Every generation of teenagers, for example, comes up with its own “language,” but it fades quickly into oblivion.) More creative writers than I have said - wisely - that “usage will push new meanings into currency no matter how many authorities hurl themselves into the path of change.” (Pssst Norm - how long does quickly fading into oblivion usually take?)

Though the quote is from 2003, under the FAQ/Ask The Editor page (http://www.apstylebook.com/ask_editor.php) the question pops up a few times more recently and is answered in approximately the same manner.

Tom McKay also sends his AP love (http://www.mainecreative.com/2007/05/if-web-site-is-two-words-shouldnt.html) but the folks at WebmasterWorld don’t buy into the formal as easily (http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum9/7252.htm).

I still don’t feel satisfied with what I’ve found and I’ve got to admit that my sense of security has faltered. I do what every confused partner does - I call on the advice from a couple of my two closest & most reliable friends: Wikipedia & Google.

Wikipedia starts the conversation with “A website (alternatively, web site or Web site)” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Website). With our loving term taking place as the primary form my heart stops its relentless nervous patter. Thanks Wiki!

Google?

A quick search for “web site” brings back 1,830,000,000 results while “website” brings back 2,650,000,000 results. For the heck of it I search ‘web site v website’ and get back a quick and confirming “Did you mean: website v website”.

+Confidence Returned+

Sure, the journalists and editors have their way with formality - but it appears that the intimacy of our relationships is becoming widely accepted with the masses. Does a popular vote matter ‘round here? Maybe the only thing that matters is how we feel about each other. I vote for us and all the lovey dovey neologistic terms that come along with a burgeoning relationship. With that, I vow to keep referring to you the way I feel like I should - website. It just feels right. This is the way it should be.

Love on.

Web, Store and Call Center Integral Part of Shopping

Research Brief from the Center for Media Research

According to a recent survey released by Sterling Commerce, higher-income consumers, college graduates and younger consumers have made cross-channel shopping a standard, indicating to retailers that achieving cross-channel execution can increase consumer loyalty and share of wallet.

Consumers are using the Web as a first touch-point and channel-hop to complete their purchases, making integration across channels essential to retail success.

The survey found that 64% of all respondents went online before making a purchase in the past three months. That percentage was even higher for “high-value” consumers, such as those:

• With household incomes of about $75,000 (81%) • College graduates (78%) • Consumers age 25 to 34 (77%)

The cross-channel activities deemed most important by the respondents were:

• The ability to return merchandise to a store even if it was purchased via telephone or online is “very important/important to 81%.”

• 56% say the ability to pick up merchandise at a store after ordering online is “very important/important.”

• Store pickups are particularly important to 69% of younger adults (25 to 34 years old).

• The availability of gift registry information in the store, online and over the telephone is “very important/important” to 56% of the respondents. 66% of the younger adults recognize this as important.

Jim Bengier, global retail industry executive for Sterling Commerce, comments that “…this survey shows… consumers are demanding new levels of convenience only found when different shopping channels support each other seamlessly.”

The retailer has the opportunity to gain customer loyalty and share of wallet, concludes the study, as shoppers are hopping channels to gain more value out of their interactions with a retailer.

57% of the survey respondents say the Web is becoming an important first touch-point, often serving as a research tool before a store purchase.

24% of respondents reported using a coupon or rebate offer found online. 18% consumers checked an online gift registry as part of the purchase process.

The percentages are higher for the “high-value” consumer groups:

• Among those with incomes of $75,000 or more, 77 percent conducted research online in advance of an in-store purchase, 32 percent used a coupon or rebate found online, and 25 percent checked an online gift registry within the past three months.

• Among those who are college graduates, 74 percent conducted research online in advance of an in-store purchase, 31 percent used a coupon or rebate found online, and 21 percent checked an online gift registry within the past three months.

And, the study finds that consumers also are expecting away-from-home access to the Web to enhance their shopping experience.

• 37% consider it important to have access to an online kiosk while shopping in the store to conduct product research.

• 36% consider it important to have access to their online account while shopping in a store to view items they have tagged online

• 32% consider it important for call center personnel to have a record of what they have been researching online

Java and software engineering

Semi-recently, there have been some new articles on a topic that seems to crop up every so often, “what skills do students - more specifically, those at a university - learn, and are these skills properly preparing them for the jobs they’ll eventually seek?” Coalmarch is in an interesting position with regards to some of these articles - this one for example - because we program mainly in scripting languages - PHP and Javascript.

However, the authors of that article do bring up an interesting point - a programming education should be well rounded, because a programmer should be well rounded. When it comes down to it, the majority of programming is problem solving. A background in a variety of languages can help a programmer attack a problem from multiple angles. It can also help to ensure that best practices are maintained (as mentioned by the writers of the earlier linked article with respect to ADA)

Personally, I started programming in C++, and I’d consider myself capable of programming in C, C++, LISP, and Java. According the article, 4 out of 5 probably ain’t bad. As a result of my personal experience, I can agree, to some extent, with these arguments. I definitely believe that I had an easier time in later level computer science courses than some of my peers who had only programmed in Java. When faced with a programming language that is less robust and outside of a comfort zone, many programmers cave. Thankfully, my experience with “real” programming languages has helped me as a scripter in PHP and Javascript.

Bottom line - it is an important balance and a topic that will probably be hot for a while to come. Just before I started at my university, they switched to Java for introductory courses under industry pressure. Since then, I have been led to believe that the university has rethought this decision, and you may now elect to take the same courses in C++. But you still have to wonder if many students fresh out of high school know enough about their field of choice to make an informed decision.

In the end, only time will tell. The industry is changing, and the universities will change to match them. But in the meantime, it is an interesting topic to discuss.

Yahoo Buyout - The Coalmarch Opinion

By now we’ve all heard the recent news about Microsoft’s 62% premium offer to purchase flagging portal company, Yahoo. There has been much speculation about whether or not this move will negatively impact Google.

It is interesting to note that as a general rule, society at large doesn’t really care for fascism. This is not to say that the move by Microsoft is indeed of the totalitarian type, but it’s definitely not consumer-friendly.

This sort of action in my mind, has more of a potential to galvanize users of Google services against the Yahoo/MS alliance. The culture that Google struggles so hard to create is one of benefit; benefit to open source, benefit to the community, benefit to humanity, and it seems extremely likely that those people who are most loyal to the Google mentality will only be more so if this deal goes through.

Time will tell what the real impact is; it could be that Microsoft just uses the merge to push its MSN-Live-Search-of-Many-Names’ services out to the public at large. In that circumstance, the situation doesn’t really change much.

How to Choose the Most Appropriate and Effective Advertising for your Budget

If you are one of the many businesses struggling to identify where, when, why, and how to make the best use of your advertising budget, you are not alone in this quest.

First of all, it is important to realize that advertising works. If you place the right message in front of the right audience, the right number of times, you will succeed. Even businesses that we might think don’t need to advertise (McDonald’s, Monster.com…etc.) spend millions each year to reach prospective customers, retain market share and position themselves against competitors.

Second, advertising is an investment not an expenditure. The bottom-line purpose of any advertising initiative is to improve your business’ bottom line, not fund media sales representatives. For those of you who take the position of, “I’ve tried it and it didn’t work,” the realization that you may have been misled can be extremely disappointing, especially since you probably lost money on the deal.

Take heart! Remember, the right message placed before the right audience, the right number of times is the key to success. If even one of these elements is incorrect, it will affect the outcome.

In addition, advertising options are expanding quickly making the decision process even more confusing. In days gone by, one had to only consider radio, television, print, outdoor, and direct mail. Now, in addition to those choices, there is Internet marketing, search engine optimization, pay per click campaigns, viral marketing, social networking, product placement, mobile marketing, e-mail marketing, and a myriad of other choices. While the opportunities have expanded, most likely your budget isn’t even approaching the point where you can invest in everything.

Deciphering the options can be nearly impossible. Any media representative will tell you that their product is number one and the best option for your business. Are they lying? Of course not (we hope!) Using ratings data and other qualitative and quantitative tools, such as Scarborough research, a case can certainly be made regarding the appropriateness of nearly every option. At this point, consulting an unbiased marketing professional who is not influenced by one particular advertising option over another, is definitely a very intelligent course of action. A trained professional can assist you in deciphering the usually confusing data that is presented, negotiate better advertising rates, and “added value” (free) promotional opportunities, and present you with a plan that makes sense and will get results.

A key to success with a limited budget is to start small and work your way up as your advertising begins to bring in a solid return on investment. Many businesses are eager to start “ at the top”. This usually means purchasing an expensive television campaign when perhaps an inexpensive radio or direct mail campaign might be the most advantageous choice. Your professional media planner and buyer is an expert at helping your decide which options are your best choices based on your business model and budget.

Finally the last piece of advice that I can give you, is “Be patient.” Effective advertising is the result of reach and frequency. Remember, the right message delivered to the right audience, the right number of times, yields success. However, with the bombardment of advertising messages in today’s society, it is only logical that your prospective customers be given time to assimilate your message and then act on it. If you follow the rules of advertising, you will see results over time.

For comments and questions, contact Sandy Andrews at Coalmarch Productions.