Dispatches From The Internets

Improving Your CSS with Parker

Parker looks like an interesting tool for general information about your CSS, but you should take its reporting with a grain of salt.


Yet another blog about the state and future of Progressive Web App

An excellent post from Ada Rose Edwards on Progressive Web Apps. She’s brings up some very real concerns, many of which I share:

  • The basis for what Chrome defines as a Web App is based upon a set of technology rather than a set of features.
  • We need to consider carefully before we throw away URLs or the entire browser chrome in an effort to look like and behave like platform-specific apps.
  • The install banner is the browser manufacturers’ choice; it’s not a spec.

Sorry, It’s Time to Start Counting Gigabytes at Home, Too

Moving in this direction poses a lot of problems for terrestrial data. It could also increase the digital divide.

Ratcheting prices up further will only increase the digital divide, but the difference won’t just be between those who have Internet access and those who don’t. The cost of data limits could also divide the population between those who can take full advantage of high-bandwidth applications like streaming and video conferencing, and those who have to curb their usage for fear of incurring overage charges.


A single platform

Another brilliant CommitStrip. My transcription follows.

Commit Strip: A single platform

A developer and his project lead are sitting next to one another.

  1. Programmer

    It sucks Uncharted 4 is only available on PS4

    …releasing AAAs on just one platform is unfair

  2. Project Lead (excitedly)

    Yeah I guess, but it must be awesome for Naughty Dog

  3. Project Lead (smugly)

    They only have to develop, test and maintain their software on one single platform

  4. Programmer (looking confused)

    I guess…

  5. Project Lead (emphatically)

    Everyone has the same processor, the same amount of memory, the same resolution…

    Just think about it…

  6. Programmer (shrinking)

    …I don’t want to think about it

Pan out to reveal the large table they are sitting at. It is littered with mobile devices.

  1. Programmer (getting up and turning to leave the room)

    Does anyone have a phone with Android 4.0.4?

  2. Project Lead (muttering to himself)

    Hmmmm…

The benefits of single platform development are easily reaped by developers, but they come at a cost to the consumer who doesn’t have the right device or specs and (moreover) it limits a project’s potential reach.


Aural UI of HTML elements

This is huge! Many thanks to Steve Faulkner and Léonie Watson for compiling this information!


Stop painting and have a Meaningful Interaction with me!

An excellent post from Dion Almaer on the importance of choosing the appropriate approach for the critical tasks of your web property. He dubs it “time to first meaningful interaction”. This is where progressive enhancement shines.



Do emails need to look exactly the same in every client?

No, they don’t. Progressive enhancement, baby!

Images will be blocked. Styles will be filtered. Tables will be munged. Instead of struggling to try to make emails look the same everywhere, let’s embrace their differences.



Must-have

Commit Strip: Must Have

For the non-visual among you…

Programmer sits at a computer with his back to a Project Manager

  1. Programmer

    Hmm, it’s quite a lot of work

    Contact form: 5 days

    Back-office: 8 days

  2. Project Manager

    OK, got it

Pan out to reveal Project Lead sitting next to programmer

  1. Project Manager

    I’ll send the customer the quote and I’ll let you know what happens

  2. Programmer

    OK, great

Zoom in on the Project Lead and Programmer

  1. Project Lead

    5 man-days for a contact form?? Are You kidding??

    It’s half a day at the very most

  2. Programmer (looking smug)

    You’re right…

    …But you’re forgetting the 4.5 days to test the new must-have framework

  3. Project Lead (smiling)

    Ha! Someone has to pay for it…

Sadly, this is so true.