HTML Writers Guild Newsletter
Volume 4, Number 9, September 1998
http://www.hwg.org/
editor@hwg.org
Table of Contents
1. Latest Schedule of Online Classes -- Register Now!
2. Welcome Dain Anderson to the Governing Board
3. Guild W3C Activities: HTML Next Generation, Voice Browsers
4. Sponsorship/Advertising Opportunities Available
5. Member Referendum on Elections -- Please Read!
6. Guild Town Hall Meeting, 22 October, 6:30 p.m. PDT
7. Frequently Asked Questions about the HWG-News Newsletter
This issue of HWG-News is sponsored by:
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1. Latest Schedule of Online Classes -- Register Now!
(Ann Navarro, Online Classes Manager, classes@hwg.org)
The HTML Writers Guild's online courses are off to a successful
start! Courses are conducted using web-based threaded forum
technology allowing students from around the world to participate
at times most convenient for them.
Our course offerings continue to expand as we offer the types
of online classes you want to take! Courses currenly open include:
LAYOUT IN HTML: WORKSHOP ON TABLES AND FRAMES
Six Weeks: September 21 to October 30
(Late Registration ends Monday September 28)
Learn advanced techniques for more sophisticated document structure.
This course will provide intensive focus on HTML 4.0 compliant
tables and frame sets. Learn when to use each, how to make them
accessible, and when not to use them.
Prerequisite: Students should have a solid understanding of basic
HTML techniques (equivalent to the content provided in HWG Online
Education course H101 - Intro to HTML 4.0).
INTRODUCTION TO HTML 4.0
Six Weeks: October 5 to November 13
(Registration closes on October 12.)
Designed for the student with little to no working knowledge of
creating HTML files "by hand." If you're looking to learn HTML from
scratch or move beyond using a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get)
editing tool, this is the class for you. Students will be introduced
to the structure of HTML documents, good markup techniques, and the
concept of validation. Functional topics will include text formatting,
using lists, tables, and an introduction to Cascading Style Sheets.
INTRODUCTION TO CASCADING STYLE SHEETS
Six Weeks: October 12 to November 20
(Registration closes on October 15.)
HTML 4.0 Strict relies on Style Sheets for all stylistic presentation,
the Web Accessibility Initiative makes use of CSS for improving access
for the disabled, and new work on HTML and XML will continue to make
heavy use of CSS in the future. In this course, you will learn the
basics of separating style from structure within an HTML document.
Start with Cascading Style Sheets Level 1 and then move on to the
recently approved Cascading Style Sheets Level 2.
Prerequisites: Students should be comfortable with basic to
intermediate level HTML, similar to the content in HWG Education
course H101: Introduction to HTML 4.0. Students will also need to have
a stylesheets-enabled browser, such as Internet Explorer 4.x, Netscape
Navigator 4.x or Opera 3.5.
FUTURE COURSES
What topics would you like to see in future courses? DHTML? VBScript?
Using ASP? Cold Fusion? You tell us! Take our anonymous survey
online and help us serve you better:
http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/survey.html
COURSE FEES
For all courses, Full and Discounted members may register for $25,
Trial members for $50. Upgrade your membership before registering,
and save! 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.
Sign up today through our online enrollment forms or get more
information at:
http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/
2. Welcome Dain Anderson to the Governing Board
(Leanne Phillips, Secretary, secretary@hwg.org)
The Governing Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Dain
Anderson (3gi@intrex.net) to an open position on the Board ending
February 2000. Dain is the Guild's online bookstore manager and
was instrumental in getting The Bookmark up and running. If you
haven't ordered from The Bookmark yet, please see our recommended books
on web authoring, graphics and more -- save money while you support
the Guild!
The Governing Board currently consists of:
Joe Cline joe@hwg.org President
Kynn Bartlett kynn@hwg.org VP/Marketing and Outreach
Ann Navarro ann@hwg.org VP/Finance, Treasurer
Leanne Phillips leanne@hwg.org VP/Member Education, Secretary
Gerald Oskoboiny gerald@hwg.org Board member
Mike McGhan mike@hwg.org Board member
Jim Barchuk jim@hwg.org Board member
Fred Barnett fred@hwg.org Board member
Dain Anderson dain@hwg.org Board member
There are two remaining positions open on the Board, with terms
expiring in February 1999. The Board has chosen not to fill these
positions at this time, pending the outcome of the member referendum
on elections (see item 5 below).
3. Guild W3C Activities: HTML Next Generation, Voice Browsers
(Ann Navarro, W3C Advisory Committee Representative, w3c-rep@hwg.org)
The HTML Writers Guild is an active participant in the World Wide
Web Consortium, the international body of corporations, educational
institutions, and acknowledged experts that establishes the standards
for the World Wide Web. Some recent Guild activities in this area
are listed below.
SHAPING THE FUTURE OF HTML
The Guild is pleased to announce that it will be participating in the
W3C's new HTML Working Group. This group consists of representatives
from W3C member companies and invited experts. They will be working
over the next 18 months to create a draft recommendation for a new
version of HTML. Frank Boumphrey, a Full Member of the Guild and an
authority on HTML, XML, and stylesheets is serving as our primary
representative. Ann Navarro, our W3C Advisory Committee representative
serves as his backup in the Working Group.
Members who wish to discuss issues surrounding the new standards may
subscribe to the hwg-plus-w3c mailing list. The exact details of the
work in progress by the Working Group will remain confidential until
the first public draft is released. However, members are free to
discuss their own ideas for the direction of HTML and provide valuable
feedback when the drafts are available.
VOICE BROWSERS
The HTML Writers Guild will be participating in the W3C's Voice
Browsers workshop to be held in Cambridge, Mass. on October 13,
1998. The Guild's position paper on "Web Authoring Strategies for
Voice Browsers" was written by Kynn Bartlett and is available on
the Guild's web site at:
http://www.hwg.org/opcenter/w3c/voicebrowsers.html
The workshop will explore the use of the web via voice-based access
devices, such as telephones, audio browsers for the visually
impaired, or even web access built into automobiles. A report
on the workshop will be posted to hwg-plus-w3c.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
You can find out more about the Guild's W3C activities at:
http://www.hwg.org/opcenter/w3c/
Full Members of the Guild who are interested in participating may
join the hwg-plus-w3c mailing list; complete details are available
at the URL quoted above.
4. Sponsorship/Advertising Opportunities Available
(Kynn Bartlett, Vice President of Marketing, advertising@hwg.org)
You may have noticed the ad for iServer above -- 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
75,000 web authors worldwide each month.
The iServer ad is presented as an example of the type and style of
ad placement available; the space in this issue was donated by the
Guild in thanks for iServer's many years of support for the HTML
Writers Guild website.
(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.)
5. Member Referendum on Elections -- Please Read!
(The HWG Governing Board, corporate@hwg.org)
The Governing Board is considering the issues of the next election,
scheduled to be held in February 1999. The first Guild election
was held in February 1998; prior to that, all vacancies on the Board --
from terms expiring after 3 years or from mid-term resignations --
were filled by a vote of the Governing Board.
The bylaws specify that in order to have a valid election, at least
10% of the voting population of the Guild must cast their votes. In
the 1998 election this requirement was not met, resulting in an invalid
vote; the Governing Board then filled the open positions by Board
appointment/vote.
To gauge if there is any interest in future elections among the voting
membership, the Guild is having a member referendum vote on the
following question: Should the Guild continue to elect Governing
Board members by a popular vote of the membership?
This voting is open only to Full (paid) members of the Guild, and
will be used by the Board to determine future Guild policy regarding
elections. The voting period will be one week, from Sunday, October
4 at noon PST to Sunday, October 11 at noon. The voting page will
be accessible from:
http://www.hwg.org/opcenter/election/
An announcement will be sent to the hwg-announce mailing list prior
to the start and end of the vote; if you are interested in subscribing
to that list please see:
http://www.hwg.org/lists/hwg-announce/
6. Guild Town Hall Meeting, 22 October, 6:30 p.m. PDT
(Kynn Bartlett, Vice President of Marketing, kynn@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 scheduling information for the next meeting is:
22 October Town Hall Meeting
Date: Thursday, 22 October 1998
Time: 6:30 p.m. PDT, 9:30 p.m. EDT, 01:30 (23 October) GMT
Hosts: To Be Announced
Server: HWG Interactive, http://interact.hwg.org/
Room: Meeting Hall
To connect, surf to the URL above for HWG Interactive, and create a
HWG Interactive account, if you don't have one from a previous
meeting. (This will not be the same as your HWG member id and password.)
Logs of previous Town Hall Meetings (July and August) are available
from http://www.hwg.org/opcenter/events/. Due to unfortunate
technical problems, the log of the September meeting is unavailable.
7. Frequently Asked Questions about the HWG-News Newsletter
(Shelly Ross, 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: 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 Shelly Ross and Kynn Bartlett.
Copyright 1998, HTML Writers Guild, Inc., All Rights Reserved.
Published monthly via email and WWW.