Talking about coding standards ranks in there with teaching grandma how to use her iPod.
I think my fellow developer and I already had drawn some pretty stark lines in the proverbial sand. The problem is, when relaying technical information, we weren't sure who we were speaking to just yet.
- Is this just between us coding nerds?
- Does Rick have to understand this or can we skip him?
- What kind of students can we expect to try and read this next semester?
In class, we agreed upon some of the information we needed to complete some of our work. We are speaking to the lowest common denominator. Explaining the "why" in lay terms has certain challenges, but it forces us to make this really easy for 300 percent staff turnover. Not a shabby goal, if you think about it.
Accessibility!
Let's talk about what can start headaches for developers. When the Web made graphic interfacing the standard, it unintentionally discriminated against the blind! For every graphic component of the new site, we have to have text equivalents. Easy for some things, such as graphics, but different for others like video, links, navigation menus and every little graphic component you see on the screen.
Luckily, Kansas already has a nicely done page covering these issues and how to fix them. Links to appropriate 'fixes' for non-accessible material make our job easier.
Most of our work is a growing document that's filled in as problems begin and, hopefully, end. Our FAQ section will also be a living document, fed by trial and error. The idea is to make a document that is the first line of defense when things don't go as planned for the end-user.
End Results
Most of our real work has yet to hit us. Basically, Katie and I are just agreeing what international Web languages we'd like to use so that we speak clearly from here on out. What's important for us to consider is how our decisions now affect future ability to adapt and develop. I think, in all the muck of our technical brief, we've actually set the bar at a progressive level without leaving our 'slow adopters' out.
The page will be accessible beyond any original notion I had. Not only are we working for cross-browser accessibility, we are also working for every English speaking person. That includes the deaf and blind, so far.
Are we remiss?
Not that we have to solve it now, but are we missing out by only using one language? I know there are a few diehards that feel the United States has a lingua franca, but the fact remains we do not. I won't debate this much here, but here is an article that seems to express the views I hear from my Latin friends.
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