When we are buiding a website or web application with the use of javascript. We have to make sure most of the people can view or use the website or web application properly. Therefore, we need to make sure we implement JavaScript in an unobtrusive manner. So that users would still be able to use it when javascript is disabled.

Christian Heilmann has found the following rules over the years developing, teaching and implementing JavaScript in an unobtrusive manner. They have specifically been the outline of a workshop on unobtrusive JavaScript for the Paris Web conference 2007 in Paris, France.

• Do not make any assumptions
• Find your hooks and relationships
• Leave traversing to the experts
• Understand browsers and users
• Understand Events
• Play well with others
• Work for the next developer

View the full article on The seven rules of Unobtrusive JavaScript.

Source: http://icant.co.uk/articles/seven-rules-of-unobtrusive-javascript/

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Over 1 million people and businesses are using Campfire’s web applications to get things done in a simple way. They have elegant and thoughtful products that do just what you need. But how do they make such great products? 37signals are going to show you something behind the scenses.

This “Behind the scenes” post aim to show you how they work and all the little things that they get done in Campfire every day. They picked one week in September and took screenshots of some of our key interactions. This “Behind the scenes” post focuses on design. I am sure it will help us when designing our web applications.

Read the full article on Behind the scenes at 37signals: Design

Requirements: N/A
Source: http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/681-behind-the-scenes-at-37signals-design
License: N/A

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The Official Google PageRank Update has just happened yesterday. WebAppers has got a mixture of PR5 and PR4 from PR0 in most datacenter. Apparently Google has penalized WebAppers for selling Text Link Ads which I have stopped selling for a month already.

Check Your PageRank here
CheckPageRank.com
PageRank Checker from iWebTool
SmartPageRank.com

What To Do If You Are Penalized By Google
If you see a different PR on different datacenter as well, you probably are being penalized by Google for selling Text Link Ads. If you would like to get your PageRank back, you can go to Google Webmaster Tools and request a reconsideration by clicking on “Request reconsideration” after removing your Text Link Ads and stop selling them from now on.

This Google PageRank Update Does Not Make Any Sense
I am happy with the PageRank of WebAppers, I think I can get a firm PR5 back if I have requested a reconsideration. However, I think there is something wrong with this PageRank Update, because there are some REALLY popular websites are getting ridiculous low PageRank. For example, Forbes.com has got a PR4, YouTube has got a PR3. And Showcase Point is a one month old site which has got less than 50 backlinks has got a PR5 from PR0! I cannot really figure out the logic behind it.

We cannot trust PageRank anymore, what is Google thinking about? Or is it just simply because the PageRank update is still in process, the PageRank of all websites are not valid and unstable at the moment?

What did you get for your websites? Are you happy with it? Are you feeling confused as well?

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Do you know anything about Ruby on Rails? Would you like to build your own Ruby on Rails web applications? SitePoint is now giving away a COMPLETE COPY of Patrick Lenz’s Ruby on Rails beginners’ book for FREE.

What are you waiting for? Go and grab one yourself. The offer is for limited time only.

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In the world of free, pricing isn’t given much attention. But if you’re looking for a real, sustainable business, it’s unavoidable. Paul Farnell’s gone through it all with his app Litmus and breaks it down for you in Vitamin - How to price your web application.

Paul Farnell mentioned that pricing is always somewhat of a black art, and a subject about which there is precious little written with regard to web applications. It’s something he has always been fascinated by. The question of how to price our web application, Litmus, was subject to countless hours of discussion. He will discuss some common factors and hopefully help spark some ideas which can help you decide upon the price of your own application.

Requirements: No Requirements
Source: http://www.thinkvitamin.com/features/webapps/how-to-price…
License: N/A

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Google Webmaster Central Blog published Quick security checklist for webmasters. They encourage webmasters to “please try the following at home,” this is by no means an exhaustive list for your website’s security. The list is useful, but they recommend that you conduct more thorough research as well.

Nathan Johns said
“In recent months, there’s been a noticeable increase in the number of compromised websites around the web. One explanation is that people are resorting to hacking sites in order to distribute malware or attempt to spam search results. Regardless of the reason, it’s a great time for all of us to review helpful webmaster security tips.”

Requirements: No Requirements
Source: http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2007/09/quick-security…
License: N/A

• 1 Comment

Cameron Moll is one of the world’s leading web designers. He aims to teach us how to develop websites for the so so-called “standards era” for mobile devices. There are 104 pages of practical advice, tips, & examples. The book costs $19 which I think it is really worth it. PDF book will be available for download shortly after payment is made.

You can download the preview sample (PDF, 4.2 MB) complete with cover artwork, table of contents, and several sample pages.

Requirements: No Requirements
Demo: http://mobilewebbook.com/bucket/MobileWebDesign_Preview.pdf
License: N/A

• 0 Comments

I have just received an email from Peter Alguacil of Pingdom.com. They are currently promoting Firefox by offering a whole full free year of Pingdom’s uptime monitoring service to anyone signing up using Firefox. At $119.40 each (normal price) and a limit of 1,000 accounts they are potentially giving away accounts worth almost $120,000. The followings are wat you get from your FREE account.

• Monitor uptime and response time of 5 websites, servers or services
• 20 free SMS alerts
• Unlimited email alerts
• 1-minute monitoring resolution at no extra cost
• Monitoring from multiple locations around the world.
• Uptime and response time statistics

To any webmaster this should be quite a treat, since it’s a full professional service for a whole year for free. I cannot wait to make this post. Time is running out. HURRY UP! The offer is valid until Saturday !

I have got one for WebAppers already! Remember to register with Firefox Browser!

Register Now

Requirements: Register with Firefox Browser
Sign Up Now: http://royal.pingdom.com/?p=174
License: N/A

• 14 Comments

If you ever intend to develop a web application, I believe you have already had the idea what and how the application is. If this is not the case, I do not think meditations at home will help you to get amazing ideas. A web application will be constructive and productive only if they are innovative or tailor-made to demands. I prefer looking around to feel the trend and sense people’s need. There is also plenty of information at the internet. Digg, StumbleUpon and Delicious is such a web site of revealing the trend of needs that I shall not miss.

Inspiration and Design

When the type of application you decided to develop has been finalized, the user interface and the homepage, i.e. the very first thing that users perceive, is the determinant factor whether your application will be successful or not. A good design of the homepage/user interface may attract and so retains users while a bad one shall repulse users forever. Inspiration may flash through your mind. Yet, a look at the high standard CSS Galleries, e.g. CSS Remix and CSS Mania will certainly provides you with much inspiration. You can also enjoy top quality web applications sites like Webware and SEOmoz’s Web 2.0 Awards and see how an intuitive, elegant and yet powerful web applications may be.

Choosing a Framework

Now that the design and features of your web application are ready, you then choose the best or your most familiar programming language to begin with. No matter what programming language you are going to use, I strongly suggest choose one with “framework”. (more…)

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Getting Real is the business, design, programming, and marketing philosophies of 37signals — a developer of web-based software used by over 1 million people and businesses in 70 countries. 37signals used the unconventional Getting Real process to launch five successful web-based applications (Basecamp, Campfire, Backpack, Writeboard, Ta-da List), and Ruby on Rails, an open-source web application framework, in just two years with no funding, no debt, and only 7 people.

Anyone working on a web app — including entrepreneurs, designers, programmers, executives, or marketers — will find value, fresh perspectives, and inspiration in this practical book. At under 200 pages it’s quick reading too. Makes a great airplane book. The complete book with 16 chapters and 91 essays is now Completely free to read online.

Requirements: No Requirements
Demo: http://gettingreal.37signals.com/toc.php
License: N/A

• 0 Comments