Notes

Web Platform

Nearly a month ago, something interesting happened on the web. A bunch of tech companies, Opera, Adobe, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Mozilla and Nokia got together to create a platform for “authoritative open web standards documentation”. Curated by the W3C, Web Platform has an ambitious and worthy goal. According to the press release from Opera:

The Web Platform Docs addresses the problem of finding a single source of accurate, quality information on all the latest HTML5, CSS3 and other standards features across the multitude of available web-based resources.

Initially taking the form of a wiki, but with aspirations to grow, the project is showing great aspirations. The inaugural blog post states:

WebPlatform.org will have accurate, up-to-date, comprehensive references and tutorials for every part of client-side development and design, with quirks and bugs revealed and explained. It will have in-depth indicators of browser support and interoperability, with links to tests for specific features. It will feature discussions and script libraries for cutting-edge features at various states of implementation or standardization, with the opportunity to give feedback into the process before the features are locked down. It will have features to let you experiment with and share code snippets, examples, and solutions. It will have an API to access the structured information for easy reuse. It will have resources for teachers to help them train their students with critical skills. It will have information you just can’t get anywhere else, and it will have it all in one place.

Considering that the state of documentation relating to web development has been fragmented and suffering from the lack of quality control that makes the web both charming and frustrating, collecting this information under an umbrella is an exemplary goal, one that we urge you all to wholeheartedly support.

1352171760 · Nicklas Persson · Follow Us on Twitter

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HTML and CSS Web Standards Solutions

Learn how to build hand-crafted web pages using well-structured XHTML and lean and efficient CSS. By embracing a web standards approach, HTML and CSS Web Standards Solutions enables you to create web sites that not only look great in all modern browsers, but are also accessible to a wide variety of audiences across a range of platforms - from those browsing on everyday computers, to those accessing the web on the latest, emerging mobile devices.

Get it at Amazon.

The Authors

In addition to their role as lecturers in interactive design at the University of Ulster at Belfast, where they have been active in promoting a web standards-based curriculum, Christopher Murphy and Nicklas Persson are practicing designers and digital artists. Their work has featured in a variety of design books and magazines alongside numerous internationally respected designers and they are regular speakers at design conferences and workshops worldwide.

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