HTML Writers Guild Newsletter Volume 6 Number 10, 20 May 2000 http://www.hwg.org/ mailto:editor@hwg.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Newsletter Sponsors: Searchbutton.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents 1. Member-Submitted Tips: XHTML Transition Tips (Next Issue's Topic: Member Tips Categories ) 2. Resources Volunteer, Please Raise Your Hand! 3. May Town Hall: Thursday, May 25th 4. Upcoming Online Classes: Take an online class! 5. HWG Events in Your Future: Vbits, XML Europe 2000 6. Why Did I Get This Email? And Other HWG-News FAQs (How to change your email address, how to unsubscribe, and more.) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This issue of HWG-News is sponsored by: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Searchbutton.com http://www.searchbutton.com/hwg Get FREE Web site search and reporting today! Improve your sites' navigability and usability with site search and reporting solutions from Searchbutton.com. There's no hardware, software, or implementation downtime. Your site visitors will gain instant access to the information they want and you find out a lot about your visitors. Premium service options available. Sign-up is quick and easy; plus a special offer for HWG members! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Member-Submitted Tips: XHTML Transition Tips (Marshall Jansen, HWG-News Editor, hwg-news-tips@hwg.org) The Guild's foundation is members helping members, sharing our expertise and knowledge to improve our skills in the craft of web design. Everyone has something to teach, and something to learn! In keeping with that spirit, the HWG-News Newsletter HWG-News features member-submitted "tips" in each issue, in the space between articles and announcements. What happens if your tip is selected? Each issue, the first-place winner will receive a free HWG t-shirt. Runner-up tips will be also listed in the HWG-News newsletter as space permits, and submissions will be posted on the HWG web site. The topic for this issue, as announced last issue, is: XHTML Transition Tips XHTML is here! What are some tips to help web developers transition their sites from HTML 4.0 to XHTML 1.0? A full list of all tips submitted can be found online at: http://www.hwg.org/opcenter/newsletter/tips/ Complete rules and information (including size limits) are also listed at the URL above -- please read it! This issue's winner was sent in by Terry Felke! [HWG-News Tip: XHTML Transition Tips --------------------------------] Ease the transition to XHTML 1.0 by using the following conventions when writing web pages: 1. Use lowercase for all tags 2. Place quotes around all attribute values For example: Use
instead of
3. Terminate all single-tag elements. Use
instead of
4. Do not overlap tags, nest them instead For Example: Use my text insead of my text [----------------- Submitted by Terry Felke ] If you have suggestions for upcoming HWG News Tip topics, you can send those to hwg-news-tips@hwg.org as well. The category for the next newsletter is: Member Tips Categories! Your editor is running out of ideas for tip categories! For the next issue, I'd like to see you submit some categories you'd like to see tips on, with the winner being the person who sends in the best tip category! Send in your 5-8 line tips on Tips Categories to hwg-news-tips@hwg.org before next Saturday, the 27th of May! 2. Resources Volunteer, Please Raise Your Hand! (Jim Barchuk, jb@barchuk.com) Hello All! After an almost intolerably long time, (well, way past tolerable for many, including me, :) ) the HWG Resources area is ready for some well deserved adjustment. As a Resources Worker, volunteers are responsible for: - Finding new, topical, appropriate sites. - Adding these sites to the database via web based interface. - Checking links occasionally to make sure they're still 'alive.' - Editing entries if necessary as linked sites grow. - Deleting links as sites become outdated or just 'go away.' - Resources workers are required to subscribe to a very low volume administrative mailing list. The Resources are not a 'free for all' links list. Sites listed here -must- be of the very highest quality, the best that can be found on a given topic. Users that browse the HWG Resources should not be led down short paths or dead ends. They need to find the most specific, complete, and appropriate information possible. Therefore as a Resources Worker a volunteer should be close to 'expert' level for assignment to a given topical area. The worker must be able to differentiate between 'good,' 'better,' and 'best' sites on a topic. HWG needs to link to only these 'best' sites. Take a look through the current list of resources topics. Pick out one or two that you think you are -best- suited to work with. I would prefer to assign each worker to as few topics as possible in order to cut down on individual time required, and likely gain better linked sites. If you think a new topic area should be added, and you are qualified to manage such an area, by all means please say so. For instance we do need XML, and we do have a couple of accessibility sites listed, but I'd like to break that out as a completely separate topic under 'design.' If you're interested in working with the HWG Resources please email jb@jbarchuk.com. Applications should include a little info about yourself, what specific area(s) you're interested in working with, and one or a couple of sites that demonstrate your skill with that/those topic(s). 3. Upcoming Online Classes: Take an online class! (Ann Navarro, Online Education Director, classes@hwg.org) Through a web-based interface, we offer a broad series of online classes designed to teach you the skills you need, in a way that fits your busy schedule. Our instructors are your fellow Guild members, chosen for their expertise in their field and their willingness to pass along their experience to you. Upcoming courses you can take include: Online classes currently open for enrollment include: Creating Web Graphics with Paint Shop Pro Dates: May 22, 2000 - July 2, 2000 (6 weeks) Tuition: $40 Full members, $70 Trial members Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/g201.6.html Release your inner artist! This graphics course will teach you to create your own stunning images for use on your website, using the Paint Shop Pro program. Implementing Java Applets in your Web Pages Dates: June 5, 2000 - July 2, 2000 (4 weeks) Tuition: $25 Full members, $50 Trial members Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/h171.3.html Designed for the beginning student with some knowledge of creating HTML files by hand or with a WYSIWYG editing tool. This class will show you where to go to get applets for your pages, and how to customize them using parameters. This is NOT a programming class! Applets will range from simple 'ticker style' text applets, to animations, and to Java games. Using Macromedia Dreamweaver - Part I Dates: June 5, 2000 - July 2, 2000 (4 weeks) Tuition: $25 Full members, $50 Trial members Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/a131.6.html Designed for the student who wishes to evaluate the Macromedia Dreamweaver 3.0 web design tool. The publicly available 30 day trial version will be available for students to use for this 4 week intensive course. Topics will include: layout and visual design, tools for creating tables, frames, and forms, implementing style sheets, and adding javascript or behaviors. New features in version 3.0 not mentioned in the current text as they pertain to these topics will also be covered. Introduction to Programming Concepts Dates: June 5, 2000 - July 16, 2000 (6 weeks) Tuition: $40 Full members, $70 Trial members Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/p010.3.html Want to take one of our programming courses, but feel you're not yet ready for the "intro" courses? Here's the class for you! Learn the programming concepts central to all programming languages, and you'll be prepared to master your next (or first!) choice of scripting or programming languages with ease. Introduction to JavaScript Dates: June 12, 2000 - July 30, 2000 (7 weeks) Tuition: $40 Full members, $70 Trial members Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/p151.9.html The JavaScript language allows you to add interactivity to your web pages -- this course will teach you the basics of programming in JavaScript for multiple browser types. Introduction to XML Dates: June 12, 2000 - July 23, 2000 (6 weeks) Tuition: $40 Full members, $70 Trial members Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/x101.7.html Come find out what the buzz is all about! XML, the Extensible Markup Language, is driving the future of data storage and exchange. Get hands on development experience using freely available tools. Sites that Sizzle: Web Animation with Macromedia Flash 4 Dates: June 12, 2000 - July 23, 2000 (6 weeks) Tuition: $60 Full members, $90 Trial members Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/a221.9.html This course covers the exciting world of Flash 4. You will learn to draw, create, import and manipulate vector objects, making them come to life in frame-by-frame animations and on multiple layers. Introduction to HTML 4.0 Dates: June 19, 2000 - July 30, 2000 (6 weeks) Tuition: $40 Full members, $70 Trial members Details: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/h101.16.html Leave your WYSIWYG editor behind and explore the nuts and bolts that make web pages function! COURSE FEES Course fees are based on membership level; Full members receive a discounted tuition price, while Trial members pay the standard price. Full membership is only $40 per year, so upgrade your membership before registering, and save money! Payments may be made online via secure transaction; all figures are in U.S. funds. A certificate of completion is available for an additional $5; the request needs to be made at the time of registration. A certificate can be requested after class is completed for $10. Textbooks (when required) are separate and may be purchased through the Guild's online bookstore, The Bookmark. Books should be purchased before the first week of class! In addition, students should have regular access to the web and the ability to post completed assignments on a public (non-Intranet) web server. Sign up today through our online enrollment forms or get more information at: http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/ [HWG-News Tip: XHTML Transition Tips --------------------------------] The three big things I found were: 1. Get into the habit of closing all tags- i.e.

. 2. Start putting all tags in lower case. 3. Use style sheets as much as possible to separate content from design. [----------------- Submitted by Stephen Moffitt ] 4. May Town Hall: Thursday, May 25th (Frank Boumphrey, VP of Special Events, vp-events@hwg.org) While we've not had a town hall meeting for the past two months, we haven't given up on them! Our IRC server will be back up and running and we hope to see you there! The details on the May town hall meeting are: 25 May Town Hall Meeting Date: Thursday, 25 May 2000 Time: 6:30 p.m. PST, 9:30 p.m. EST Server: HWG Interactive, http://interact.hwg.org/ IRC: irc.hwg.org, port 6667 Channel: #townhall To connect, either go to the URL above and use the Java-based client available via the web, or use your favorite IRC client and join channel #townhall. 5. HWG Events in Your Future: WWW9, Vbits, XML Europe 2000 (Frank Boumphrey, VP of Special Events, vp-events@hwg.org) As part of our ongoing Speakers Bureau program, we are pleased to present this list of upcoming industry events at which the Guild will be participating. More information can be found at our events page: http://www.hwg.org/opcenter/events/ * VBits Chicago, IL May 24, 2000 http://www.vbits.net/ Frank Boumphrey will be presenting "Building XML applications using VB". * XML Europe 2000 Paris, France June 14, 2000 http://www.gca.org/attend/2000_conferences/europe_2000/default.htm Frank Boumphrey will be presenting "Using XML in Medical Internet applications". If you are attending either of these events, please stop by and introduce yourself to our HWG representatives, we'd love to meet you! [HWG-News Tip: XHTML Transition Tips ----------------------------------] I teach Internet development classes at a local training center, and I have been recommending to my students for over a year that they close all tags, even those such as

where the closing tag is optional. Even if you are not ready to move to XHTML, closing all tags will make it easier to transition when you do. And leaving out closing tags can cause CSS problems in some browsers. [------------------------- Submitted by Sheila S. Ruth ] 6. Why Did I Get This Email? And Other HWG-News FAQs (HWG-News Newsletter Editor, editor@hwg.org) This newsletter was edited by Marshall Jansen . Thanks to Christy Jansen for proofreading and moral support, and putting up with me writing a newsletter the night after our wedding night! Some questions you may be asking: Q: Why did I get this mail? A: You received this newsletter because you are a member of the HTML Writers Guild. This message came from HWG-News, the Guild's mandatory mailing list for all members. If you need more information about HWG-News, please see the List Charter at: http://www.hwg.org/lists/hwg-news/index.html Q. Why doesn't this newsletter talk about web design or HTML more? A. The newsletter is the Guild's administrative bulletin to the membership; beyond the HWG News Tips, we don't include specific information on web creation. If you are interested in the topics of Web design and HTML, then you might want to subscribe to some of our discussion lists devoted to those topics. More information on the Guild's offering of discussion lists can be found at: http://www.hwg.org/lists/mailinglists.html Q. How can I find out more about Guild activities? A. The Guild has set up a one-way announcement list, HWG-Announce, that carries bulletins of day-to-day Guild business. For details on how to subscribe, please see: http://www.hwg.org/lists/hwg-announce/ Q: How do I unsubscribe from HWG-News? A: Since this is a required list in order to maintain your Guild membership, unsubscribing is the same as resigning from the HTML Writers Guild. If you have your Member ID and password, to resign your membership in the Guild and to unsubscribe to HWG-News, visit: http://www.hwg.org/member/resign.html Fill in the pertinent information, and submit it. If you don't have a Member ID, or have forgotten your password, send mail to: mailto:lost-password@hwg.org with a Subject of: Resign membership In the body of the message, provide the following information: * Your email address(es) * Your member ID if you have one. * The list of discussion lists you are on. Please remember that unsubscribing to HWG-News automatically resigns you from the Guild. If you have problems with unsubscribing, please contact the password support team for help. Q: How do I change my email address for Guild mailings? A: You can update your own membership profile at any time by going to this page: http://www.hwg.org/member/profile.html. If you don't know your password, contact the password support team for help. Q: Can my company advertise in the Guild's newsletter? A: Yes; the Guild is offering sponsorship opportunities in HWG-News on a limited basis. If you are interested in advertising your web related product or service here, please send email to advertising@hwg.org or call (205) 422-4340. Discounts are available to Guild Business and Corporate members, as well as for multiple placements. The Guild's newsletter reaches over 117,000 web authors worldwide each month. (Note: The Guild does not make our member database available for third party use. We have a strong privacy policy and will not release our members' personal information; our mailing list is not for sale. Any questions regarding the Guild's advertising or privacy policies can be directed to advertising@hwg.org.) Q: What if I want to comment on this newsletter? A: The HWG-News Mailing List is a "Read-Only" list -- please do not try to reply to this message directly. If you wish to contact the editor of this newsletter, you may do so by sending email to editor@hwg.org. Each article begins with the contact information for the author as well. Copyright 2000, HTML Writers Guild, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Published twice monthly via email and WWW.