HTML Writers Guild Newsletter
Volume 5, Number 9, 23 May 1999
http://www.hwg.org/
editor@hwg.org
Table of Contents
1. You're Invited! Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, 27 May 1999
2. Online Classes Update: Learn About Web Graphics and More!
- Creating Web Graphics with Paint Shop Pro
- Business Writing Basics
- Designing for Universal Accessibility with HTML 4.0
- Working with Dynamic HTML
- Introduction to HTML 4.0
3. When In Rome...Meet the HWG in Italy, 6, 7, 8 October 1999
4. AWARE Center Bulletin: Accessible Web Authoring News
- Assistive Web Tech Lab Grand Opening June 8 in Orange County, CA
- AWARE Center featured on Internet radio show
- Myths, Selfish Reasons, and more on AWARE Center web site
- State of Washington Free One-Day Conference June 7
- CAST's Bobby updated; includes directory of Bobby-approved sites
5. Frequently Asked Questions about the HWG-News Newsletter
This issue of HWG-News is sponsored by:
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1. You're Invited! Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, 27 May 1999
(Leanne Phillips, HWG Secretary, secretary@hwg.org)
Each month, the Guild provides an opportunity for real-time discussion
and chatting via HWG Interactive. These monthly meetings are hosted by
members of the Governing Board (with most of them in attendance),
and give our members the chance to voice your views about the HWG.
The details for May's meeting are:
27 May Town Hall Meeting
Date: Thursday, 27 May 1999
Time: 6:30 p.m. PDT, 9:30 p.m. EDT, 01:30 (28 May) GMT
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.
We look forward to meeting you there!
2. Online Classes Update: Creating Web Graphics and More!
(Ann Navarro, Director of Online Education, classes@hwg.org)
Learn to create Web graphics using the Web's most popular shareware
graphics editing tool - Paint Shop Pro!
Most web site developers use graphics to enhance their pages. For many,
this means that you must rely on previously created graphics that you
download from royalty-free sites. But there is another alternative --
create your own! Paint Shop Pro is a popular and powerful image editing
application that allows you to create and modify graphics for your web
pages and other documents. It has been compared to programs like Adobe
Photoshop and Corel Draw. This course will focus on creating graphics
from scratch as well as modifying existing graphics to achieve a variety
of effects through the use of tools, color manipulation, filters, masks
and textures.
About the Instructor:
Gretchen Lowerison is the owner of Coreidea: Electronic Education, an
Internet based consulting company that specializes in developing
web-based educational learning sites. She holds an M.A. in Educational
Psychology and has been teaching at the University/College level since
1988 in the areas of Psychology and the Internet.
The course runs from June 7 to July 16 (6 weeks) and the enrollment
fee is $25 for Full members of the Guild, $50 for Trial members. You
can register for course G201 today at:
http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/g201.1.html
The following courses are also open for enrollment in May/June:
B101: BUSINESS WRITING BASICS
Dates: May 24, 1999 - July 16, 1999 (8 weeks)
There's more to producing an effective web page than just marking
up HTML tags! Learn how to convey your message through
effective business writing skills!
H151: INTRODUCTION TO CASCADING STYLE SHEETS
Dates: May 24, 1999 - July 2, 1999 (6 weeks)
Learn how to use CSS to create vibrant, accessible pages with
detailed control over placement, presentation, and appearance.
D201: DESIGNING FOR UNIVERSAL ACCESSIBILITY WITH HTML 4.0
Dates: May 31, 1999 - July 9, 1999 (6 weeks)
This course will teach you everything you need to know about making
interoperable, platform-independent web sites that can be used by
anyone, regardless of disability, browser type, or other factors.
Take this class and become AWARE of web accessibility!
H301: WORKING WITH DYNAMIC HTML
Dates: June 7, 1999 - July 17, 1999 (6 weeks)
This course will allow you to blend your current talents in HTML,
Scripting, and CSS into what's commonly known as Dynamic HTML.
Go beyond the mouseover into engaging effects that can be viewed
by most of today's most popular browsers.
[Pre-requisites: HTML, Javascript, and CSS experience, such as HWG
Online Courses H101, P151, and H151.]
H101: INTRODUCTION TO HTML 4.0
Dates: June 21, 1999 - July 30, 1999 (6 weeks)
Go beyond your WYSIWYG editor! This course will let you master
HTML, learning how to craft a well-made, effective web page! Our
most popular course for beginners.
COURSE FEES
For all courses, Full and Discounted members may register for $25,
Trial members for $50. 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. 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/
Make the most of your HWG membership -- enroll in an online course
today!
3. When In Rome...Meet the HWG in Italy, 6, 7, 8 October 1999
(Frank Boumphrey, VP of Guild Special Events, frank@hwg.org)
The HTML Writers Guild invites our members to join us in Rome this
October for the E-Commerce Summit! In addition to HWG President
Kynn Bartlett presenting as a speaker at the conference, the Guild
will hold our first ever European meeting, and everyone is invited!
For this event we have arranged a special 50% discount on the
conference registration; we hope to see you there, especially our
members from Europe and elsewhere! More information will be announced
via HWG-News, HWG-Announce, and the Guild's website as details are
finalized; to read about the E-Commerce Summit, please see the
website at:
http://www.e-commerce-summit.com/
Mark your calendars!
4. AWARE Center Bulletin: Accessible Web Authoring News
(Kynn Bartlett, AWARE Center Director, aware@hwg.org)
The HTML Writers Guild sponsors the Accessible Web Authoring Resources
and Education (AWARE) Center, the primary web designer reference for
creating sites that can be used by anyone regardless of computer
setup or disability. The AWARE Center website is located at:
http://aware.hwg.org/
Recent announcements from the AWARE Center include:
- Assistive Web Tech Lab Grand Opening June 8 in Orange County, CA
The AWARE Center is pleased to announce the grand opening of the
Guild's new Assistive Web Technology Laboratory on June 8, 1999
at 4:00 p.m.
The AWTLab is located at the Guild's Orange County offices at
Fullerton, California and features examples of computer
technology used by web surfers with disabilities to access the
World Wide Web. The AWTLab is a resource for all Guild members
wishing to learn more about the need for accessible web design
and for testing their pages with a wide variety of unusual access
methods.
Refreshments will be provided at the ribbon cutting ceremony on
Tuesday the 8th, which is organized in conjunction with Idyll
Mountain Internet and the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce. Guild
members and the press are invited; please RSVP to aware@hwg.org
or by calling (714) 526-4963. Demonstrations of assistive web
technology will be showcased, and members of the Internet and
business community will be able to test if their own web sites
are disability-friendly.
- AWARE Center featured on Internet radio show
The May 18th program of Michael Lauf's HandiTalk Internet
Radio program is now available in streaming audio format
(RealAudio and Windows Media) from:
http://handitalk.ttalk.com/
This show featured Kynn Bartlett, AWARE Center Director
and president of the HTML Writers Guild, and Judy Brewer,
Director of the W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative as the
guests; the topic was accessible web authoring and the WAI's
newly released guidelines for creating accessible web sites.
- Myths, Selfish Reasons, and more on AWARE Center web site
The AWARE Center website has been updated to include a number
of new links as well as essays including "Myths About Web
Accessibility" and "Selfish Reasons for Accessible Web
Design." Also featured is a white paper by the City of
San Jose's Cynthia Waddell entitled "The Growing Digital
Divide in Access for People with Disabilities: Overcoming
Barriers to Participation," which she will be presenting
at the U.S. Department of Commerce's E-Commerce conference
on May 25 and 26.
- State of Washington Free One-Day Conference June 7
Cynthia Waddell will also be speaking at a one-day conference
presented by various state departments in Washington on
June 7, 1999; for details, please see:
http://aware.hwg.org/learning/wa_1999-06-07.html
- CAST's Bobby updated; includes directory of Bobby-approved sites
The Center for Applied Special Technology has created a wonderful
resource for web designers, called "Bobby." Bobby can be used
to evaluate the accessibility of your web site, and you can run
it over the web or locally as a Java application.
Recent improvements to Bobby will rate your site against the
W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, and provide
tips on cross-browser compatibility. Also, CAST is now
maintaining a new directory of web sites that are Bobby-approved;
this resource is a way to identify your site as one that has
taken the time to be usable by everyone. For more information
on Bobby, please see:
http://www.cast.org/bobby/
5. Frequently Asked Questions about the HWG-News Newsletter
(HWG-News Newsletter Editor, editor@hwg.org)
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?
A. The newsletter is the Guild's administrative bulletin to the
membership. 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:
newapps@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 Database Manager 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 (714) 526-4963. Discounts are available
to Guild Business and Corporate members, as well as for multiple
placements. The Guild's newsletter reaches over 95,000 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.
This issue was edited by Kynn Bartlett.
Copyright 1999, HTML Writers Guild, Inc., All Rights Reserved.
Published monthly via email and WWW.