Google launches open APIs for social networks
October 31, 2007
Writes Elinor Mills
Borrowing a page from Sun’s Java playbook, Google is announcing a way for programmers to build social applications for multiple Web sites at once.
Google’s version of this “write once run anywhere” concept is called OpenSocial, a set of common application programming interfaces (APIs) that will enable developers to create applications for social networks, blogs and any Web sites that accept the OpenSocial code. Currently, developers have to write new programs for each site, even if the functionality will be the same on each site.
This initiative “marks the first time that multiple social networks have been made accessible under a common API,” according to a Google statement.
This announcement illustrates how Google is courting developers and possibly attempting to outdo Facebook in openness. Facebook opened up its platform to developers in June and the site was immediately flooded with all sorts of useful and not-so-useful apps. Google, Yahoo and others have been heavily espousing the beauty of open platforms and making moves to that end.
Not surprisingly, Facebook, which recently reportedly chose Microsoft over Google for an exclusive ad and investment deal, is not one of the OpenSocial-enabled sites.
Google’s social network, Orkut, is among the sites that will accept apps written using OpenSocial APIs, as is LinkedIn, hi5, iLike, Slide, Ning, Friendster, and Plaxo.
A Google representative would not say whether Google had talked to Facebook and MySpace about joining the initiative or comment on why they were not involved.
The OpenSocial resources for developers and Web sites will be available at: http://code.google.com/apis/opensocial.
Tables Still Have a Place in Web Page Layout
August 3, 2007
Writes: Kevin Yank
At tonight’s meeting of the Melbourne Web Standards Group, Andrew Krespanis and I have been assigned to argue for the statement “Tables Still Have a Place in Web Page Layout.” Here’s a sneak peek at what we plan to say! Please bear in mind: we may not actually agree with everything that is stated here!
HTML tables enable web designers do one thing very well: design with 2D grids. And let’s face it: if one thing has remained constant in web design over the past ten years, it’s that designs are commonly based on 2D grids.
Without tables, HTML content is designed to only stack vertically, one block on top of the other. Grids require the horizontal and vertical stacking that tables can provide. You can emulate this to some extent using CSS floats, but that’s not what floats were designed to do; using them this way tends to produce a lot of unexpected problems and trigger obscure browser bugs.
The biggest reason given for avoiding HTML tables for layout is because table-based layout is misusing a feature intended for another purpose. We believe the same logic should apply to CSS floats: using floats for grid layouts is, to some extent, misusing CSS.
But we can argue ideals all day—the practical reality is that tables do some things much better than CSS.
For one thing, tables can give you columns that stretch to accommodate their contents’ width—automatically. In CSS, the closest thing you can do is specify column widths in ems, which are imprecise, and also force you to update your CSS every time the contents of the column change.
Another point in favor of tables is that my mom and dad can understand them. My parents will never “get” CSS grid layout techniques like negative margins and faux columns, nor should they be expected to.
Our opposition will no doubt tell you about accessibility problems caused by layout tables. Well, the Web should be universally accessible to publishers too, not just readers. We’re not saying that you should be using tables for layout, just that some people cannot yet be reasonably expected to lay out their sites with CSS, and for those people tables are still a good solution.
But what about the problems caused by layout tables, you may wonder?
What problems? Every browser and assistive technology currently in use has had to deal with layout tables for years, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
A layout table is actually very easy to detect and handle appropriately. In the same way that a < div > or < span > tag with no semantically meaningful attributes can safely be ignored by systems looking to extract meaning from markup, a table with only bare < td > tags communicates no semantically significant information, and can be reasonably assumed to be a layout table.
Layout tables may even have some benefits if we open our minds to them. One cell in your layout grid may reasonably be considered a “header” for another cell. Layout tables let you describe this relationship in your markup, while div-heavy CSS layouts do not.
One day, browsers will support the CSS 3 Advanced Layout module, and grid layouts will be easy for anyone to produce with CSS. When that day comes, layout tables may well be out of business, and we’ll be happy to see them go.
In the meantime, tables still have a place in web layout.
Of course, there are two sides to every story, so be sure to read the next issue of the Tech Times, in which I’ll sum up the arguments of our opponents in tonight’s debate. Oh, and I’ll also let you know which side won!
About The Author: Kevin Yank is Editor, The SitePoint Tech Times
Technorati Tags:
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HTML Tables |
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CSS Floats |
CSS Grid Layout |
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Web Hosting — IPowerWeb Announces Biggest Sale EVER!
June 27, 2007
To celebrate the Fourth of July, IPowerWeb has announced its biggest sale EVER!
IPowerWeb’s normally-priced $7.95/month Pro Plan hosting package will be discounted to the extremely low price of $4.95/month. That’s almost a 40% discount!
This discount is available for their 12-month and 24-month plans. Hosting accounts will renew at regular rates.
This sale won’t last long. It is a limited-time offer, expiring July 6th at Noon (PST) .
One of our websites, TheCertificationHub.com has been hosted by Ipowerweb since 2000 — and we are very satisfied with Ipowerweb’s services.
Ipowerweb is one of the best web hosting companies on the Internet — A first class hosting company which we highly recommend.
Here is what you get:
- 300 GB Hosting!
- 2,500 Email Accounts
- Website Builder
- Free Domain Incl.
- Host 6 Domains in 1
Limited-Time Offer! Hurry! Deal Expires July 6th at Noon (PST)
Conversion Rate Optimization Vs. SEO
June 16, 2007
Within the e-commerce sphere, the “mind games” between site owners and search engine designers have focused on search engine optimization (SEO). After all, you can’t make a sale if visitors aren’t reaching your site. However, as the web marketplace grows exponentially more competitive, attention among webmasters and site owners has turned to conversion optimization – converting site visitors to buyers.
Conversion optimization has nothing to do with SEO. SEO is designed for spiders and bots. Conversion optimization is based on two factors only: the needs and motivations of human site visitors and persuasive site content and design to encourage humans to make a purchase or perform some other action. Any other considerations are sub-sets of these two factors in conversion optimization strategies.
Measuring Human Motivations and Site Effectiveness
SEO is based on the development of numbers (metrics) that are immutable. Numbers are numbers, there’s no debating that. The interpretation of site metrics, on the other hand, is a true combination of art, science and testing.
Assessing conversion rate optimization must apply a completely different approach to data gathering and the accurate, actionable assessment of the cold hard facts (percentages and such) that are the basis of SEO.
How, for example, do you quantify the emotional response of visitors? What method do you use to collect utile data? And how can you apply the scientific method to the analysis of human motivators and to site designs that will appeal to and persuade those motivators. Go read the rest of the article
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