How to combat modern crappy websites?
Paul Hänsch
paul at fsfe.org
Mon Apr 25 15:02:54 UTC 2016
Well, I think the main reason is, that web developers just don't know.
Dynamic appearing and hiding of conten can be done with CSS 2.1 (or
earlyer versions if you keep it simple)
including:
- Single page sites with navigation
- folding/unfolding navigation menues (even with clicking, not just
hovering)
- Option boxes appearing dynamically
- Tooltips
- side panels
Screen size adaptions can be done in CSS 3.0 (or earlyer, again if you
do fine with little)
including:
- side bars folding to the bottom
- button icons / button texts showing only on large screens
- Navigation menus folding into "hamburger buttons" on small
screens
Some other specials:
- Video playback can be done in pure HTML
(even before, but better with HTML-5)
- Carussel animations can be done in CSS 3.0
(they suck anyway, but that's beside the point)
- Highlighting image sections etc can be done... well
not sure if earlyer than CSS 2.1
All this falls back gracefully, even if the respective CSS features are
not supported.
= = = = = = = = = = = ADVERTISEMENT = = = = = = = = = =
So, who of you volunteers to implement this on the FSFE homepage?
We currently have:
- the language switcher
- the closing button on our translation warnings
(e.g. http://fsfe.org/index.ru.html)
- https://fsfe.org/about/fellows.en.html
(should display a highlighted map, apparently defunct)
- the caroussel animation on the frontpage
- Tooltips on http://fsfe.org/timeline/
- the hamburger button (on small screens)
- the contribution slider on http://fsfe.org/join
- probably some more...
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
In most cases the CSS-Implementatios is *easyer* than doing the same in
JavaScript.
A while ago I held a lightnig talk in front of some dozend web startup
developers. I didn't prepare anything, I just happened to be in the
same place drinking beer. When no one wanted to hold the first talk, I
jumped in and showed some some of those hacks, mostly the hiding and
unhiding thing. It turned out the audience was surprised. Some where
even very interested, they just didn't know this was possible and easy.
Another reason is, I suspect, that some web developers, with regard to
their sites, don't make the distinction between a document and an
application. The argument is well founded with the Chomsky Hierarchy.
Dynamics and interactivity, when introduced by CSS layouting are very
different from the same dynamics, when they are introduced through
JavaScript. They are much more controllable in regards to computer
security and they avoid issues that come up in the context of Software
Freedom.
The most down-to-earth argument (steming from this language class
argument) is probably that CSS based interactivity doesn't interfere,
even interacts with sensory aids and input aids. Those are not only
required by users with bodily handicaps, but are also used in
environments where people wear protective gear or operate machines
while using a website.
Looking at code of modern web pages, I often suspect that the authors
are not well aquainted with CSS. So it's really a matter of education.
People in a 100,000 Euro start-up company might just be working on
their first commercial web project after university.
Maybe it helps if we hang out on StackExchange more.
--
Paul Hänsch █▉ Webmaster, System-Hacker
█▉█▉█▉
Jabber: paul at jabber.fsfe.org ▉▉ Free Software Foundation Europe
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