Saturday 30 May 2009

Molly’s Top Five Tips to Gaining Twitter Market Share

The other day I was asked by someone how I was gaining “market share” on Twitter. Apparently, they were impressed by the number of followers I’d gathered, and wanted to know what it was I was doing to get them.

So here are Molly’s (aka @mollydotcom in Twitter speak) top suggestions on how to gain market share on Twitter.

1. Create a user CSS file that sets the Twitter Follower link to display: none;
2. Choose a Twitter client that doesn’t show how many followers you actually have, or makes it difficult to find that information
3. Never, ever seek out your numbers or stats using Twitter stats tools
4. Only follow those people you genuinely are interested in
5. Don’t believe the hype. It’s love, not money, that makes the world go ’round

Yes, it’s really that simple.

Filed under:   Twitter, blogging, community, policies, society, software
Posted by:   Molly | 02:26 | Comments (13)

Tuesday 24 March 2009

One of These Links is Not Like the Others

I was over on LinkedIn adding contacts and updating bio, when on my profile page I noticed a list of generated links “Viewers of this profile also viewed . . .”

The list, as you can see in both the screen shot and listed names, is simply a classic. But I’ll leave it up to you to decide which one of these links is simply not like the others.

List of Linked Names:

• Dan Cederholm
• Jon Hicks
• Jonathan Snook
• Jeremy Keith
• Jeffrey Zeldman
• Andy Budd
• Cameron Moll
• Barack Obama
• Jared Spool
• Eric Meyer

Filed under:   humor, society, standards, web design and development
Posted by:   Molly | 03:55 | Comments (23)

Friday 13 February 2009

I Am an Opera Singer

“I am an opera singer / I sing in foreign lands / Most people seem to know my name / Or at least know who I am” – Cake

Today marks a major passage in my life, and I’d like to share it with you. At 13:00 hours on Friday the 13th of 2009, I formally became an employee of Opera Software, ASA. My position is Web Evangelist, working on the Developer Relations team. I will be based out of the Mountain View, California office, although I will continue traveling as well as doing workshops and conferences. My job description is exactly what my job has always been: evangelism and outreach for standards and an open, accessible, multi-modal Web.

What is astonishing to me is that for the first time in my career, I am with a company that specifically empowers its employees in regards to open standards. This is quite the change of pace, for as many readers are aware, through my former roles as a group lead for the Web Standards Project (WaSP) and then as a standards consultant to Microsoft, standards evangelism has been an uphill battle with no rest for the weary, no aid for the wounded.

Not so at Opera. I’m working with some of the most talented folks in the business. Henny Swan, Chris Mills, Bruce Lawson, Jon Hicks, and of course Hakon Lie and so many others. The contributions these people have made to the industry and to the world are a light of inspiration, and I am very honored to be part of a company whose core creed is an open Web, and whose developer motto “Follow the Standards / Break the Rules” fits a personality like mine perfectly.

My role at Opera will largely be meeting with people, providing resources on Web standards, organizing events that promote open Web and best practices, and essentially evangelizing the essential truths of the Web that I’ve always held dear: Platform agnostic, user agent agnostic, ability/disability agnostic. Anyone. Anywhere. That’s the vision, and now I have the resources, support and security of a company whose time has truly come.

Of course, this is also the same day that it’s been outed that Microsoft IE8 will blacklist sites where the IE7 compatibility button is used by many people. This means that if you want IE8 readiness, you have to get ready now, or you run the risk of having your sites be on this blacklist, forcing IE7 rendering even if you authored the sites using open standards. So while this post is a personal announcement, anyone working on the Web please read up on this issue and pre-empt a potential blacklist on your site.

People who know me and know the history of how the IE8 opt-in opt-out switch got all, well, switched around will see immediately the irony of today’s events. I really, really want to maintain the belief that when Microsoft made that impressive and unprecedented leap into shipping standards mode as default, that that meant something. That was the result of a lot of hard work, a lot of pain, a lot of fury, and at least one person (me) who is now sitting here wondering if anything I spent the last year and a half of my life doing was helpful. That I am a mix of emotions right now is logical, because I know so many good folks within the IE team who believe. Their struggle is a difficult one and I don’t envy them, but I think this is a significant wrongdoing. A dramatic analogy in my mind is hey, so if I keep stepping on the brakes in my car, eventually I’ll opt out of them working?

All the more reason I’m counting my blessings that I’m with a company that wants standards. I don’t want to battle anymore. I want no more browser wars. I want peace in all the land. Is this an impossible dream? I don’t know, but for the first time in my adult life I am actually an employee to a company other than my own, a decision that was not made lightly. In fact, this is the third time I’ve been offered a job at Opera, so I’m going to remain an optimist, do my vocal exercises, and continue singing for a useful, beautiful, meaningful and interoperable Web.

Filed under:   announcement, browsers, community, ie8, microsoft, professional, society, software, standards, web design and development
Posted by:   Molly | 21:04 | Comments (84)

Tuesday 10 February 2009

Aid for Victoria: SitePoint’s 100% Donation Sale

As many people are aware, the brush fires in Victoria, Australia have killed over 170 people with many more expected, and they’ve left thousands homeless and in need of emergency care.

It is one of the worst natural disasters in Australian history, and SitePoint, based in Melbourne, Victoria is stepping up to help out.

So a sale of any five SitePoint books for $29.95 USD is underway – that’s FIVE books for the price of one, people (and some great book choices there are, too) and 100% of the proceeds are going to bushfire relief. You can read more and get to ordering by visiting SitePoint’s sale site and buying some books!

SitePoint, you’re awesome for being such a caring company, and providing excellent, ongoing resources for Web folks everywhere. Best wishes from here at Molly.Com for comfort, relief and well-being for all.

Filed under:   announcement, community, society, web design and development
Posted by:   Molly | 01:54 | Comments (3)

Thursday 11 December 2008

W3C Validators in Jeopardy

As many folks who follow the W3C are aware, financial and bureaucratic issues have challenged the organization for many years. But one thing the W3C has held steady with is its validators, which are regularly and freely utilized by Web designers and developers world over.

It’s come to pass that the funding necessary to maintain and grow validation services at the W3C has become overwhelming to the W3C’s operational budget. As such, the validators are in jeopardy.

But there are ways to help, and this post is a call to action to do just that.

We’ve set up a donation system to allow for a number of different donations concepts: Donor, Sponsored, Community Fundraising, and in the spirit of open source and standards, plenty of opportunity to give of your time and knowledge to assist with the work.

It works like this:

• Donor: A donor is anyone interested in donating money to the cause. A micropayment of 1.00 USD if the validator “saves your day” can be very helpful!
• Sponsor: A sponsor is a company or organization that donates to the W3C
• Community Fundraising: There are two badges available at the W3C that link to the fundraising page. If you support the validator, encourage others by placing a badge on your site and blogging about the topic
• Time Not Money: If you cannot or do not wish to donate money, your time is as or even more valuable. There are opportunities to help the W3C maintain and grow validation services.

That we’ve had the use of validation tools via the W3C for so long and without cost has been a significant component in the teaching and evangelism surrounding Web standards and best practices. To lose these tools would impact that message, not to mention take a certain amount of quality assurance away from the process.

For more information about the validator services concern or to become involved, please visit the W3C Validator Donation Program page.

Filed under:   announcement, community, professional, society, software, standards, w3c
Posted by:   Molly | 12:37 | Comments (85)

Wednesday 8 October 2008

Educational Pathways for Web Professionals

Somehow I missed this WOW Tech Minute interview where I discuss with Bill Cullifer education pathways for Web designers and developers. In particular, I’m interested in and discuss how “hybrid” minds develop and evolve. There’s video, audio and text available.

Let me know your thoughts!

Filed under:   community, professional, society, web design and development
Posted by:   Molly | 15:15 | Comments (24)

Sunday 14 September 2008

Announcing The World Wide Web Foundation

Only a mere few hours ago Tim Berners-Lee at an event in Washington, D.C. announced The World Wide Web Foundation.

The mission of the foundation is:

• to advance One Web that is free and open,
• to expand the Web’s capability and robustness,
• and to extend the Web’s benefits to all people on the planet.

All well and good, of course, but wasn’t that supposed to be part of the W3C’s mission, too? The difference here is that the foundation is essentially about funding (which is something the W3C dearly needs).

“The Foundation will raise funds through a multi-faceted strategy, beginning with a $5 million seed grant over five years from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.”

There’s a fairly good overview of the program on the site, give it a look-see. I would love to feel optimistic about this, but at this point I’ve really decided that creating more groups is just adding layers of problems on top of what we’re already doing.

On the other hand, if this empowers greater outreach, education and fosters real influence in returning to the core ideals of an interoperable Web for all, then I’m all for it.

Filed under:   accessibility, announcement, browsers, how we will be, society, software, standards, w3c, web design and development
Posted by:   Molly | 18:09 | Comments (27)

Why Do Some People Stay in Harm’s Way?

Watching the first early morning pictures coming in showing Ike’s devastation.

One thing the newscasters and interviewees keep bringing up are how people refuse to leave their homes despite opportunities, offers and resources to do so. I can’t figure this out. It’s one thing to be isolated and out of touch and therefore stranded. It’s another to deny reality when you’ve been given the information.

Any insights into why this is?

Thinking good thoughts for all.

Filed under:   community, molly asks you, society
Posted by:   Molly | 04:12 | Comments (42)

Friday 12 September 2008

Accessibility Storm Hits Texas: Millions Jeopardized

While Hurricane Ike’s eye hovers over Galveston, and the country has basically come to a standstill as planes are grounded and people (myself included) can’t get home to loved ones until the storms pass, there is an equally disturbing issue that’s surfaced in recent weeks regarding the acclaimed University of Texas.

This year, the world lost a great leader in John Slatin, who along with colleagues was able to create the Accessibility Institute at the University of Texas and make real inroads in training people about accessibility and universal design.

It appears that the University of Texas would like to honor his memory by dismantling one of the highlights of John’s life works. To lose such an institute at this time demeans whatever progress has been made in the light of accessibility.

Universal access is something we cannot afford to stop worrying about. Our communications systems rely on our ability, no matter our ability, to communicate need.

During a time so frightening and confusing as a massive hurricane like Ike, nothing seems to shine a brighter light on this important facet of our daily lives. With universal access, many people will be empowered to get help more efficiently. Without it, certain individuals will be locked out of some of those resources.

That the University of Texas could even consider dropping such a core and critical program is tragic. The act removes educational resources that in turn create the resources that can help us all during difficult times as well as those more pleasant.

Please raise your voice and request that the Accessibility Institute be reopened! Sign the petition at Save The Institute.

Stay safe, Texas. And do the right thing.

Filed under:   accessibility, announcement, community, how we will be, policies, professional, society, web design and development
Posted by:   Molly | 23:21 | Comments (16)

Sunday 31 August 2008

Flashback Post: Web Design and Development Personality Indicators

From 2005, for your amusement.

(original post here: Web Design and Development personality indicators)

-=-

I’VE HAD ENOUGH! Frustrated with the range of attitudes and opinions I deal with as a standards-oriented educator, I’ve decided to begin a project (very) loosely based on the Meyers-Briggs personality indicators. So, dear readers, I’m hoping you’ll help me add and refine my categories, but I’m off to a start with the following:

• OFAD. Old Fart Anti-Design. These are the guys (and I mean guys) that were on the Web as early as 1991. Almost all physicists at major research institutions, they’re the ones who helped Tim Berners-Lee refine the Web and were the first adopters. Mostly long in the tooth now, some are still kicking and they can be described as the anti-designers. These aren’t even purists – today’s approaches seem foreign and sometimes frightening to them. They long for the days of Lynx, really, but barring glowing text on a terminal and HTML authored in Vi or Emacs, their idea of Web design is default gray backgrounds, default text, maybe a list, and the apex of old fart visual design: a horizontal rule. Fortunately, this is a very rare breed and usually they can be ignored because unless they’ve progressed somewhat, they have precious little to offer the contemporary, standards-oriented Web designer or developer.
• OSVD. Old Skool Visual Designer. These are the folks that refuse to see beyond their nested-tables-spacer-GIF design. In fact, you can find them at a variety of ad agencies and teaching at conferences all over the world, still excited when they create a design in Photoshop and use the so-called HTML export utility. These designers are often extremely hostile toward standardistas largely because the idea of change or looking at code is so traumatic that they hold on to the Old Skool methodology as if it were a lifeboat on a stormy sea. Unfortunately, this breed isn’t rare enough.
• TTLM. Trying To Learn More. In this category are the good men and women who might still be serving it up Old Skool but are open to learning, open to growth yet struggling with standards related concepts and the snakepit of browser challenges of contemporary Web design and development. These brave souls are not in the majority, but they are to be lauded and assisted for their willingness to venture forth and expand their horizons.
• SAVD. Standards Aware Visual Designer. These people are designing with standards in mind – creating beautiful sites for the screen, working toward achieving accessible sites, examining usability and human factors, and very possibly beginning or already designing for alternative devices and media types. A very rare breed, and if you are reading this post it’s very highly likely you’re either one your own fine self, know all their names or have Zeldman’s personal phone number memorized.
• SASS. Standards Aware Structural Semanticist. These personalities are very code-centric, with little interest (or more often, skill) in presentation but lots of interest in the proper structuring of documents, use of meaningful markup, microformats, Semantic Web and the like. At their most compulsive, they can become purists to the point of having unrealistic expectations of the more worldly Web worker. Also a rare breed, SASS personalities are extremely important to the good of the Web but sometimes need to be reminded that smart structure and semantics can happily co-exist with visual design.
• SACE. Standards Aware Cutting Edge. Whether visual designers or code-centric or both, these are the folks that design first for Firefox, Safari and Opera and work around IE 6.0 only because they have to. Given their druthers, sites would be built using practically no markup and lots of attribute selectors, just because they like the idea. A rare breed worth watching, but also in need of reminders that the rest of the world just ain’t there yet, and in fact, really are lagging behind.

Hybrids are not unusual, either. I sort of live between the SASS and the SAVD personalities, with not enough real design skill to execute great visual designs, but enough savvy to appreciate beautiful, standards-based Web sites. There’s probably a personality type for people like me, but it’s very difficult to assess my own character, so I’ll leave it there for now.

As I’m typing this, I’m on a ship in the Eastern Caribbean teaching CSS on a Geek Cruise. The ship, the MS Zuiderdam, is just in the process of docking at Road Town, Tortola, in the British Virgin Isles. I’m sure you all feel really sorry for me right now.

It’s just past dawn and I’m up at the very top of the ship where there happens to be WiFi at the going rate of 40 cents USD per minute, so you’ll forgive me if I leave you now with the following questions: Are you one of these personality types, and if so, which? Do you have a personality type you’d like to add to my little list?

Filed under:   blogging, flashback, general, how we will be, humor, just fun, molly asks you, pop culture, revolution, society, web design and development
Posted by:   Molly | 01:37 | Comments (31)

Thursday 10 July 2008

Of Rich Web Experiences

If you want best practices, best information, best people and you care about code the place for you is the Rich Web Experience this September.

Early bird discounts apply right now – go check it out! If that sounds like marketing speak, say so! I’m working on my diversity skills. Last year I was honored with the same spot but health issues prevailed so I could not participate. This year, I’m raring to go and excited to be talking to as many Web developers and professionals as I can. Particularly application developers.

Interestingly, today is the day my relationship with Microsoft really, really ends (last check deposited to my account). Today, I stumble toward a “rich web experience” despite concerns about standards, agendas and linear thinking.

You can read about my Keynote and other sessions at the RWE web site. There’s an early-bird registration discount too! The richest Web experience I know is ironically off the Web. Face to Face, that’s the magic place.

I hope to see you at RWE!

Filed under:   accessibility, ajax, announcement, browsers, community, conferences, how we will be, ie8, innovation, javascript, microsoft, policies, rails, society, software, standards, w3c, web design and development, whatwg
Posted by:   Molly | 11:12 | Comments (9)

Wednesday 9 July 2008

A Proprietary Web in Deed and Fact?

Paul Ellis eloquently points out a few things I’ve become hoarse saying over the past year in his recent post A proprietary Web? Blame the W3C.

My personal list goes like this:

1. There’s no such thing as “Web Standards”
2. There’s no such thing as an open Web (except in our dreams)
3. There’s no such thing as interoperability on the Web

Of course the grand irony here is that it’s supposed to be the W3C where we get Microsoft and Adobe and Apple and Mozilla and so on around the table working together to create specs. So blanket “blame the W3C” statements are a bit flawed. I’d be more specific. I’d say “blame patent and IP old-skoolers, blame poor W3C infrastructure, blame an archaic and slow rather than agile and rapid process.” I can honestly tell you the most interesting, passionate and standards-oriented brainstorms I’ve had the opportunity to be present at have always been at W3C WG meetings.

Alas, those meetings of minds are then hacked apart and returned to their respective Member Companies to be scrutinized in light of policies, agendas and oh the list does go on.

My concerns are therefore different than Ellis’, who feels that it’s time for a richer Web experience anyway. While I do agree with the need for rich experiences, I am more fundamentally concerned about how the “Open Web” will ever be re-opened, and if it ever will be.

Every time I’ve said “Web Standards Aren’t” I get a significant response. Sometimes people laugh, sometimes they look at me as if I forgot my medication that day. Ellis’ article brings it a little closer to home about the many years of commitment standardistas give to a quality of work and a visionary cause that may have long been lost before it was ever truly won.

Filed under:   browsers, community, personal, policies, professional, society, software, standards, w3c, web design and development
Posted by:   Molly | 01:15 | Comments (46)

Sunday 6 July 2008

To Challenge and Frighten

Challenge and sometimes frighten people.

Filed under:   creativity, cults of personality, faith(less), how we will be, microthought, nmby, policies, revolution, society
Posted by:   Molly | 02:44 | Comments (19)

Friday 4 July 2008

What is Independence to You?

Today is the 4th of July, which is independence day in the U.S. We party with feasts and drinks and fireworks.

It’s a great tradition. Have you tried the hot dogs? Beef, hot mustard, sauerkraut.

Still, I’m concerned with the core values of Independence. Concerned that the idea that independence is not at all what we have, even though it might be what we thought we set out to have.

Independence to Me

Is believing everything I do matters, even if it doesn’t.

Filed under:   how we will be, molly asks you, nmby, personal, religion, society
Posted by:   Molly | 07:41 | Comments (22)

Thursday 3 July 2008

The Morris Law of Standards

I read this at Tom Morris‘ site and had to quote here:

“However fucked up and crazy something is, someone, somewhere in a standards body is writing a parser, schema or proposal for it.”

Some things are true because they’re funny. But most funny things are just quite simply true.

Filed under:   community, creativity, humor, innovation, society, software, standards, w3c, web design and development
Posted by:   Molly | 06:09 | Comments (13)