rips…
…and other disturbances…
latest updates on www.gunlaug.no…
november 2008:
- Written another web design article – this time about the difficult decision whether to hack or not to hack we may sometimes find ourselves having to make, when browsers disagree with us and each other on how to render our creations.
- Have updated my list of supported browsers. Since such a list isn't just about adding or subtracting names but also about checking what works and what doesn't in a whole series of browsers, the whole operation took a while. Think I got it about right, for now.
- While in the process of tuning my very personal design, a new article about trends in web design and communication emerged. Needless to say my style, and my views on web design, are slightly off the most trendy paths.
playing with browsers…
Although I'm pretty restrictive about hacking anything but dead browsers, I do find it both interesting and useful to play with the live and even some unborn browser versions. Details about browsers' growing CSS support can only be determined through testing, and I prefer to run browsers through my own tests since I do not always find other people's tests reliable.
The result of one such test can be observed in the sidecolumn on this page, where browser engines are targeted through mostly regular but also some highly irregular CSS selectors. As long as one keeps in mind that I'm testing for browser engine versions and not browser versions, the result isn't too bad.
I use the knowledge acquired through such testing to draw lines between the dead browsers that one can safely target and hack if they don't behave, and the very much alive and constantly improving ones that shouldn't be hacked for real almost no matter what they do. Being able to draw such lines in the right places is important if one wants to avoid future failures.
Any progressive enhancement approach must also be based on thorough testing, as far from all old browsers are unaffected by selectors and properties they don't support. Leaving old browsers to swim in their own mess may not be such a big deal in most cases, but killing off browsers that many people use daily is something one should think twice about so sometimes the enhancement just has to wait.
project: web design workstation…
My integrated set of Operating Systems and hardware is working quite well, but of course I have had to learn a bit about Operating Systems and software I up until now haven't had a chance to familiarize myself with.
Working across windows 2000, XP and Vista has been easy enough – only Vista was new to me. However, I'm still a bit behind when it comes to pulling Ubuntu seamlessly into the team. Luckily, whenever there's a task I can't find my way through in a matter of minutes, there's always some help available through web searches.
Of course, keeping all these machines connected to the web through my pretty slow connection can test my patience to the limits and beyond at times. When I need to update something on a couple of machines while trying to get through some work or mail from another, the term “soaking milk through a straw” is quite fitting. Not even our cats would have enough patience to do that, they would go straight for the bucket – somethingI can't do.
Although few software programs do anything but check for updates automatically – I have to initiate the actual downloads myself, there is time lost for almost any task that involves web connection. A couple of hours lost on the connection each day, is more the norm than the exception.
Alright, I can't do anything but wait and hope someone some day will provide me with a better connection. For now all I have is a promise about something better, but if that means getting something that is so much better than what I have now that it'll really make a difference, is still in the blue.
the farm: business as usual…
Temperatures went below freezing for a week or so, but now they are above again. Cold, and a light shower now and then, which is normal around here this time of year.
The farmer had to take time off and go to the hospital for an operation to releave severe stomack pain. Of course this means she can't do any heavy work for a while, so now it's up to the farm-assistant (that's me, the author) to take care of all farm-work, in addition to his own.
Only 4 cows to milk, but all our 12 animals need food and care at least twice a day, so it takes a few hours to get it all done properly. One can not cut corners when dealing with farm-animals, so time itself isn't important during the daily routines.
Our farm-animals spend most of their time out on the pastures and in the woods, and take care of themselves. Not much grass left out there, but enough to provide them with some tasty snack.
The cows know when it is milking-time, and won't accept too much deviation. Apart from that they are quite flexible and do not complain as long as there's food and water and places to rest.
sincerely 
Hageland 08.nov.2008
last rev: 15.nov.2008
rips…
