Web Design Ireland

posted by Robert on Jul 31

Best uses of Flash

Thursday, July 05, 2007 at 3:15 PM

Written by Mark Berghausen, Search Quality Team

We occasionally get questions on the Webmaster Help Group about how webmasters should work with Adobe Flash. I thought it would be worthwhile to write a few words about the search considerations designers should think about when building a Flash-heavy site.

As many of you already know, Flash is inherently a visual medium, and Googlebot doesn’t have eyes. Googlebot can typically read Flash files and extract the text and links in them, but the structure and context are missing. Moreover, textual contents are sometimes stored in Flash as graphics, and since Googlebot doesn’t currently have the algorithmic eyes needed to read these graphics, these important keywords can be missed entirely. All of this means that even if your Flash content is in our index, it might be missing some text, content, or links. Worse, while Googlebot can understand some Flash files, not all Internet spiders can.

So what’s an honest web designer to do? The only hard and fast rule is to show Googlebot the exact same thing as your users. If you don’t, your site risks appearing suspicious to our search algorithms. This simple rule covers a lot of cases including cloaking, JavaScript redirects, hidden text, and doorway pages. And our engineers have gathered a few more practical suggestions:

1. Try to use Flash only where it is needed. Many rich media sites such as Google’s YouTube use Flash for rich media but rely on HTML for content and navigation. You can too, by limiting Flash to on-page accents and rich media, not content and navigation. In addition to making your site Googlebot-friendly, this makes you site accessible to a larger audience, including, for example, blind people using screen readers, users of old or non-standard browsers, and those on limited low-bandwidth connections such as on a cell phone or PDA. As a bonus, your visitors can use bookmarks effectively, and can email links to your pages to their friends.
2. sIFR: Some websites use Flash to force the browser to display headers, pull quotes, or other textual elements in a font that the user may not have installed on their computer. A technique like sIFR still lets non-Flash readers read a page, since the content/navigation is actually in the HTML — it’s just displayed by an embedded Flash object.
3. Non-Flash Versions: A common way that we see Flash used is as a front page “splash screen” where the root URL of a website has a Flash intro that links to HTML content deeper into the site. In this case, make sure there is a regular HTML link on that front page to a non-Flash page where a user can navigate throughout your site without the need for Flash.

If you have other ideas that don’t violate these guidelines that you’d like to ask about, feel free to ask them in the Webmaster Help Group under Crawling, Indexing, and Ranking. The many knowledgeable webmasters there, along with myself and a cadre of other Googlers, will do our best to clear up any confusion.

posted by Robert on Jul 25

Google AJAX Search API now has image search results reports the Google AJAX Search API blog.The basic code is this:

var searchControl = new GSearchControl();

searchControl.addSearcher(new GimageSearch());

With Image Search you can expect:

• High-performance access to image search results
• Easy integration with our base search control
• Ability to use raw search results in your mashups
• Full suite of raw, JavaScript-accessible properties (URL, size, thumbnail URL, snippets, original-context URL, etc.)
• Pre-Constructed HTML node in case you want us to do the heavy lifting
• Full customization of our result HTML via CSS

More information is available at Google AJAZ documentation. Post your suggestions and feedback at Developer’s forum.

Source: http://www.webpronews.com

posted by Robert on Jul 25

Google provided a handful of additions to their Spreadsheets product, and fixed a couple of issues.

Speaking of addition, Google coded a new feature called Quicksum into the Spreadsheets. By selecting cells, Quicksum displays their total in the lower right corner of the page. Garett Rogers at Googling Google noted how this allows for calculations without having to write a formula first, which should benefit new spreadsheet users.

Google also added what they call a ’sortbar’ to Spreadsheets. The sortbar is a draggable, horizontal break between column headers and data, they noted, with each column having a place in the sortbar for fast sorting without leaving the Edit tab.

By dragging that sortbar down, users have the option to freeze rows in Spreadsheets, a feature that makes editing a lengthy spreadsheet document much easier. Dragging and releasing the sortbar performs the freeze, with rows below the sortbar able to scroll freely.

Collaborative editing will be color-coded by user. As multiple people edit a spreadsheet, each cell a person edits will be assigned a color, making it easier to tell who has done something on a sheet.

Google expanded the viewability of Spreadsheets to any browser, but only supported browsers will be able to edit a spreadsheet. Their product team also fixed uploading issues with data and graphs that had been reported by users of the service.

http://www.webpronews.com

posted by Robert on Jul 25

A recent update to the Firefox browser kept some AdSense publishers from being able to log in to their accounts.

The Mozilla Foundation released version 2.0.0.5 of Firefox to correct an input handler problem. This update proved troublesome for a number AdSense publishers.

Google’s Rajiv Sud said on the AdSense blog Firefox users were unable to log in to their accounts. Some publishers would see a sign-up form instead of their normal login page.

Blame for the problem fell upon a widely-used Firefox plugin, according to Sud:

After a little digging and some testing, we’ve found that Adblock Plus, an add-on that sometimes gets installed with Firefox, can prevent you from accessing your account on the AdSense homepage. Our recommendation is to clear your cache and cookies and turn off the Adblock software before trying to log in at www.google.com/adsense.

Adblock Plus allows its users to shut off ads that appear on web pages. We find it amusing to note that people who earn money through AdSense ads also employ Adblock Plus to keep from seeing ads on websites.

Soucre: http://www.webpronews.com

posted by Robert on Jul 19

The Internet has been abuzz lately claiming we are in the 25th year of the computer virus. And while many people believe a 15-year-old created the first virus in 1982, I’m not so quick to agree.

After digging through some Web sites offering insight into the history of the computer virus, only one thing is constant: Elk Cloner was not the first. Although some publications are claiming the poetic Elk Cloner virus was first, a host of viruses were ravaging computers in the 1970s.

The world’s first generally accepted computer was created by Charles Babbage and while many things are uncertain about its design, one thing is not: no viruses infected it.

But if we fast-forward to the 1970s, the world’s first computer virus actually sprang up. Called the Creeper virus, it was first detected on ARPAnet–a U.S. military computer network that was the forerunner of the modern Internet. According to Viruslist, the virus was written for the Tenex operating system and was capable of independently gaining access through a modem and copying itself to a remote system. Once infected, the system would display the following message: “I’M THE CREEPER: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN.”

To disable the Creeper virus, a new virus called the Reaper was created. Unlike the Creeper, the Reaper virus spread to networked machines looking for Creeper. If it was found, Reaper would immediately delete it. Regardless of its beneficial actions, who can argue that a program replicating itself to networked computers to delete files isn’t a virus? Not me.

If you still don’t believe me, a new virus called Rabbit infected computers in 1974. Although it was originally harmless, it replicated itself to other machines so quickly that once it hit critical mass, the system performance would slow to a crawl and eventually, the virus would crash. Hmm, sounds like a virus to me.

As if you needed more evidence to prove this isn’t the 25th anniversary of the computer virus, 1975 ushered in one of the most legendary viruses ever: Pervading Animal. Created for the Univac 1108, a man named John Walker found a new way of distributing game files. The game, called Animal, was a self-learning variation of 20 questions that required you to simply “think of an animal.” Insistent on putting an end to mailing the game out, Walker coded a virus called Pervade that was called by any program on the system and copied itself to every directory the user had access to without the user’s knowledge.

Pervading Animal is one of the most debated viruses today. Some analysts argue that it was an unintentional byproduct of a man trying to make his life a little easier, while others claim intent has nothing to do with deciding whether a program is a virus. I judge a virus on what it does. In this case, the program replicated itself quietly behind the scenes and worked its way into every inch of the system. Pervading Animal was a virus.

While Elk Cloner was truly a virus, it was not the first. And although people like to anoint tags to this or that, recognizing the first virus as having occurred 25 years ago is simply incorrect. The sad fact is we are embarking upon more than 30 years of viruses, not 25. And while the early versions may have been a bit rudimentary, each was a virus nonetheless.

Move over Elk Cloner, you’re too late.

Source: http://news.com.com/

posted by Robert on Jul 19

A member of an influential European Union privacy group has said it will meet to discuss whether Google has gone far enough in reducing the amount of time the Google cookie stays on computers.

Alexander Dix, Berlin’s security and privacy representative, told CNET News.com sister site ZDNet UK that the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party, a group of European privacy experts, welcomed Google reducing its cookie time to two years, but said the group would discuss whether Google has gone far enough.

“It’s certainly an improvement, but we will have to discuss whether this is enough,” Dix said. “It’s a good thing that Google has addressed the question of a cookie time limit.”

Cookies are small files stored on a computer so that it can be recognized when it revisits Web sites, enabling the site to remember the user’s preferences for things like e-commerce, and sites that require a log-in.

Dix said that Google renewing the cookie every time a person used either Google or a site using Google applications, such as Google Analytics, was not a major privacy concern, as users could control cookies by configuring their browser.

“People can influence cookies by configuring their browser–they can just accept one session. Users have more choice than with their log profiles,” he said.

Even so, the privacy expert said that cookies were still a concern for the data watchdog, especially cookies that users have accepted or rejected without knowing they have done so. However, Dix said that a bigger concern was the anonymization of server log data, and that the only major search company to disclose its server log data-retention policy had been Google, which anonymizes server logs after 18 to 24 months. Major search players such as Microsoft and Yahoo have yet to disclose their server log data-retention policy, Dix said.

“Certainly Microsoft and Yahoo have not discussed server log profile retention so far. Google has, and we would welcome it if Yahoo and Microsoft did the same,” Dix said.

Server log data shows how a computer has been used to search, and can be mined to provide information. Dix said that the major search players had not disclosed how they intended to use that information.

“Our main concern about all search engine providers is that they are transparent about what they intend to do with the information–a concern Microsoft hasn’t addressed so far. Maybe they have a privacy-friendly policy–I don’t know. They should certainly tell users if they have one,” said Dix.

A senior representative for Yahoo Europe said the company will make an announcement on data retention policies “in a matter of weeks.”

“Our policies reflect the fact that our users’ trust is one of Yahoo’s most valuable assets. Maintaining that trust and protecting our users’ privacy is paramount to us. Our data retention practices vary according to the diverse nature of our services. We don’t break out that information currently as we view it to be commercially sensitive,” said the representative.

“We only keep data as long as is required by law and is useful for our business purposes. In some cases, that is as short (a period) as a few weeks. This data is used to benefit our users in many ways. That includes protection against fraud, personalized content, product innovations based on what we learn about how users interact with our site, and best-in-class free services paid for by targeted advertising,” the representative added.

Microsoft declined to comment.

Source: http://news.com.com/

posted by Robert on Jul 19

Today, Mozilla patched nine vulnerabilities including the Firefox portion of the Internet Explorer-Firefox flaw identified last week. That flaw occurs when IE passes malformed URLs from IE to another application such as another browser. Mozilla wrote, “this fix only prevents Firefox and Thunderbird from accepting bad data.” And it stated in boldface, “this patch does not fix the vulnerability in Internet Explorer.”

This security update also addresses known issues involving browser crashes, privilege escalation, and cross-site scripting vulnerability. Current users of Firefox 2.0.0.4 or earlier will be automatically prompted to install the new version starting today. You can learn more about the update or download a fresh copy of Firefox 2.0.0.5 at the Mozilla site.

posted by Robert on Jul 19

TemplateMonster.com, the Internet’s largest templates provider, offers its collection of Web 2.0 Templates - a new generation web design concept that makes surfing intuitively simple and enjoyable.

Although it may seem that the term Web 2.0 means a new version of the World Wide Web, it actually does not refer to any kinds of update to Web itself. It only means changes in the ways web designers and users use the web as a platform. Web 2.0 technologies greatly differ from an “old web” which is why the design appeared to be the first thing to be changed. Everything starting with the background and ending with content fonts has been changed. This kind of platform provides easier maintenance and more convenient staying at the website for the visitors.

The product is very easy to use for website owners. Actually that’s the whole thing about Web 2.0 - it’s easy to customize and edit. At the same time from the visitors’ point of view Web 2.0 is easier to browse and better-looking as it uses specific graphical and navigational tools (like icons, bright color schemes and dividing content into special functional sections).

“The user today is not only a “visiting individual” surfing the pages, he is now able to change everything to suit HIS own needs in the best way. That is why the designs are to be prepared for that,” says David Braun, CEO of TemplateMonster. “After all its’ no fun when everything is the same all over the Internet. And when improvements are both about functioning and design it becomes even more attractive. That is why we are sure that Web 2.0 is the future of Internet and our duty is to contribute into that positive trend”.

The distinguishing feature of Web 2.0 is its non-standard design and it is aimed at impressing both visitors and website owners.

posted by Robert on Jul 19

“The PHP development team hereby announces that support for PHP 4 will continue until the end of this year only,” project organizers said on the PHP Web site on Friday. “We will continue to make critical security fixes available on a case-by-case basis until Aug. 8, 2008.”

The announcement came on the third anniversary of the launch of PHP 5, and project programmers said they want to focus on the upcoming PHP 6. PHP 4 was released in 2000.

“This announcement ensures the whole ecosystem moves forward together,” including those who build PHP, those who use it directly, those who employ it in higher-level applications such as Drupal or Joomla, and the Web site hosting companies that let customers use PHP, said Andi Gutmans, co-founder and co-chief technology officer of Zend, a start-up that commercializes PHP. PHP 5 “answers the challenges of building modern Web applications: Web services support, Ajax, XML, object-oriented programming.”

But retiring widely used software can be difficult, as Microsoft found when trying to end support for Windows Me and Windows NT 4. Not everybody is eager to see PHP 4 fall by the wayside.

“PHP 5 has been, from an adoption point of view, a complete flop. Most estimates place it in the single-digit percentages or at best the low teens,” Matt Mullenweg, the founder of the WordPress blogging software and site, which uses PHP, said on his blog. “Now the PHP core team seems to have decided that the boost their failing product needs is to kill off their successful one instead of asking the hard questions: What was it that made PHP 4 so successful?…Why wasn’t PHP 5 compelling to that same audience? Are the things we’re doing in PHP 6 crucial to our core audience or simply ‘good’ language problems to solve?”

In an interview Monday, Gutmans disputed the PHP 4 popularity statistics, saying that 80 percent of Zend’s customer base has already moved to PHP 5 and that the PHP community was “conservative” in choosing the date for ending PHP 4 support.

“What we find is that everyone who is doing active development has already migrated,” Gutmans said. “What’s skewing the numbers is there are lot of legacy applications on PHP 4 that just work, and nobody wants to change them.”

Yahoo and Facebook, two prominent PHP users, have moved to PHP 5, Gutmans said, in part because of better performance.

“The end-of-life date for PHP 4 inside Yahoo is much more aggressive than the public date,” said Rasmus Lerdorf, the original PHP author and now a Yahoo programmer.

Ending PHP 4 support is driven by practical necessity, Lerdorf added. “We are an open-source project with limited resources. With PHP 6 on the way, we don’t have the resources to support three different versions of PHP at the same time,” he said.

Gutmans also argued that PHP, while changing, still places a premium on being accessible. “Our foremost goal is ease of use,” though another is “expanding the language, making it more suitable to some of the new trends in the Web space like Web services and Ajax,” Gutmans said. “We constantly have to balance those. Our decision-making always leans toward ease of use.”

One reason for ending PHP 4 support is to focus on PHP 6, which Gutmans said is due in about a year.

PHP 6 features include better international abilities, in particular support for Unicode character sets that include not just Roman alphabets but also Arabic, Korean, Chinese and many others. Another feature is better security.

“Certain features we decided not to support anymore. We believe they can lead to bad security practices,” he said. “We’ll make it clear to users how to make migration easy.”

Source: news.com

posted by Robert on Jul 19

Though Firefox usage has reached only 18 percent of the US market (quite the rise, actually), the browser is gaining much more ground in Europe, and the latest version is outpacing Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 7.

(You’ll have to have patience with the US. We still haven’t transitioned yet to the metric system If it works for us, we see little need to change it.)

Overall, Firefox has captured 28 percent of the European browser market, forcing Internet Explorer to below 70 percent for the first time since…well, since it left Netscape in the dust a decade ago.

The numbers come courtesy of France-based XiTi Monitor. Of the 32 countries measured, Slovenia and Finland lead the pack in switching browsers, each passing a 45 percent usage rate.

Ireland and Hungary are switching the fastest, each of them reaching nearly 40 percent saturation in the past quarter. Ahead of Hungary (and Poland) in terms of usage rate is Slovakia, with 40.4 percent using Firefox.

(I knew a man from Slovakia once. His name was Bennie, at least that’s what he went by because nobody could pronounce his name in Kentucky. He claimed to be the Secretary of State of Slovakia, told great stories about deer hunting, smelled to high heavens, and drank black beer out of Mason jars. I was his RA one summer in college, just until he found a suitable apartment while he pursued a Master’s degree in Public Administration, courtesy of the US government –at least, that’s what he said. Bennie also told me that Budweiser was a Czechoslovakian phrase that meant “Beer of Kings,” not King of Beers.)

Ahem. Anyway, as far as the latest edition, Firefox 2, it is outpacing Microsoft’s latest version, IE 7, just about everywhere. XiTi says that since March, share of website visits coming from Firefox 2 has historically passed IE7, commanding 23.1 percent versus IE 7’s 22.6 percent.

Source: http://www.webpronews.com/