I gave a talk called ‘WCAG 2.0 for writers’ at an accessibility forum recently. Preparing for it gave me the time to think some more about WCAG 2.0—the new(ish) version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. As a web content specialist, I find the new guidelines disappointing. Content is the reason people use websites, but these guidelines do little to foster quality content. And I think they are weaker on content standards than the earlier version. Let me explain why I’ve come to this view.
Articles
Don’t publish online just because you can
Publishing content online is relatively easy, fast and cheap. It’s one of the great things about the web, but also one of its downsides. Too much content gets published online because it can, rather than because it should. Many websites heave and groan under the weight of too much low (or no) value content. Sadly, their users do too.
Continue reading “Don’t publish online just because you can” »
Definining and refining the purpose of a web page
I’ve been reviewing and editing a lot of web content lately. Two current clients have large information-dense websites. The content is produced by staff who are not professional writers, and they probably have little time to devote to writing—let alone planning. But lack of planning has been a key problem, and in particular, understanding the purpose the content.
Continue reading “Definining and refining the purpose of a web page” »
Two words that need to go under!
I blame journalists for the growing use of these two awful words: ‘undertake’ and ‘undergo’. They litter newspaper headlines and articles. I hear them on the evening news program almost every night.
Twitter
Facebook
Delicious
YouTube
Flickr
RSS (Subscribe to our blog)