Publication: Internet Tutor
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THE INTERNET TUTOR
April 27, 2006
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This week...
- Webmaster Tip: Quirks Mode
- Surfin' the Web: Reporting from Iraq
- Software Spotlight: Ponderation
- The Oddball Wall: The Word Nerd
- Computer Tip: Color Schemes
I told you last week about the new greeting I used on my
answering machine. Because I often do use an off-the-wall
greeting, I sometimes get off-the-wall messages left for
me. Here's one my fishing buddy left for me:
"Are you really not there? If you're home pick up, it's
important. If you're not home hurry up and get home and
return my call. Hello? Pick up, please. Come on, it's
important! Pick up. Pick up. You don't like pick ups? All
right then, Cadillac. How about Thunderbird? OK, I guess
you're not home. Never mind, it wasn't important anyway."
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WEBMASTER TIP - Quirks Mode
Note: In code examples I add a period after each left arrow
bracket so the code can be viewed in all e-mail programs.
If you copy and paste, be sure to remove the periods or it
won't work.
Question: I was reading about web design and the writer made
a passing reference to a browser's quirks mode. What the
heck is that?
Simon Says: When Microsoft and Netscape began implementing
CSS into their version 4 browsers, the CSS support fell
woefully short of the W3C standards. Microsoft and Netscape
were exposed for what every webmaster already knew -- they
had both always been non-compliant in many areas of code
reading and rendering.
Because of browser non-compliance to standards, webmasters
often had to use CSS and even HTML in unintended ways to
work around the browser quirks in order to force them to
display reasonably well in both Netscape and Internet
Explorer.
Because of a rising chorus of complaints from web developers
and standards writers, browser vendors were finally forced
to upgrade their browsers to be compliant. This was the
beginning of the end of the browser wars era.
This new spirit of compliance in moving closer to the W3C
standards posed a tricky problem though. Many web sites
would be "broken" to various degrees because of the non-
standard coding they were forced to use in working around
the poor CSS support browsers offered.
So, in a moment of clarity, browser vendors opted for dual
support. One would be standards compliant and the other,
the quirks mode, would be used for non-compliant web sites.
To determine which mode to use, compliant web pages used a
DOCTYPE that would tell the browser which standard to use.
Web pages without a DOCTYPE would be rendered in quirks mode.
Even today, years later, many, if not most web sites, are
still rendered in quirks mode. Good thing too, or many web
sites would look quite the mess.
There you go, that's how the murky quirks mode works.
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SURFIN' THE WEB - Reporting from Iraq
Steffan Tubbs is a news reporter for KOA radio in Denver.
He was recently in Iraq as an embedded reporter. You can
read his reports and view photographs, as well as send
email to some soldiers that would like to hear from folks
back in the states.
This will give you a little different perspective from what
you see on the television news shows.
http://www.koaradio.com/pages/cmn_blog.html
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GopherCentral's Question of the Week
Do you believe members of the Duke Lacrosse team raped the
dancer at the party?
Please share your opinion, visit: The Question of the Week
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SOFTWARE SPOTLIGHT - Ponderation
What in thunderation is Ponderation? It's unique software
programs that offer you a "point to ponder" at the click of
a button. Each program has over 150 hand-selected nuggets
of wisdom.
Each quotation is superimposed over a beautiful photograph
that sets a serene tone for contemplation.
The Ponderation programs are better than free - you may also
give them away to your family and friends or to anyone and
everyone from your own web site.
If you like the quotes I use to sign off with in this ezine,
you'll love Ponderation.
http://www.htmlville.com/ponder.shtml
Note: I do not provide support for the featured software.
Contact the software vendor for support. No warranty is
made or implied as to the usefulness or appropriateness of
featured software.
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THE ODDBALL WALL - The Word Nerd
Well, it's time once again to make you smarter! I'm going to
fire up the old vocabulary builder quiz again because the
place I go to find out what happened on this date in history
has been captured by aliens from the planet Foobledripper...
either that or the site is down.
For each entry choose the answer that most closely reflects
the meaning of the word given...and be danged happy I gave
you choices!
1) Grange
a. cattle feed b. an outlying farm c. grasslands
2) Colloquy
a. slang b. gibberish c. formal conversation
3) Insurmountable
a. unbeatable b. uppermost c. indifferent
4) Pedantic
a. donnish b. dangling c. intriguing
5) Cantankerous
a. unwilling to cooperate b. impish c. confusing
6) Gingerly
a. lively b. lovingly c. cautiously
7) Posh
a. dirty b. cheap c. elegant
8) Retrospective
a. spiritual b. concerned with the past c. introverted
And now for a real rubby mucket...
9) Gaberlunzie
a. a yakking woman b. a beggar c. a malcontent
Answers below, here's the scoring:
9 correct: Perfection!
7-8 correct: Outstanding
5-6 correct: Very Good
2-4 correct: Fairly Fair
0-1 correct: Turn the TV off.
Answers:
1) b. an outlying farm
2) c. formal conversation
3) a. unbeatable
4) a. donnish
5) a. unwilling to cooperate
6) c. cautiously
7) c. elegant
8) b. concerned with the past
9) b. a beggar
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COMPUTER TIPS - Color Schemes
If you've noticed, I write about all kinds of different
things. One might say I have a broad range of interests,
or you might say I get bored easily.
Either way, I often change the color scheme of my computer
because:
a) I have broad range of color interests, or...
b) I get bored easily.
To change your computer's color scheme:
1) Right-click a blank spot on your desktop.
2) Choose Properties from the pop-up menu.
3) Choose the Appearance tab on the Display Properties dialog.
From here you can choose preset color schemes or create and
save your own schemes item by item by selecting the various
components of your display from the "Item" drop-down menu.
Pay attention to the color and size options on the right side
for each item you select. When they become "active", you can
change that setting, otherwise they are grayed out if they
cannot be changed.
When it comes to color, you don't have to settle for a solid
color either. You can choose to have some items fade from one
color to another. That's what I do, because:
a) I have broad range of color interests, or...
b) I get bored easily.
Disclaimer: Advice in this column is presented as informational
and is true to the best of my knowledge. Any decisions to follow
this advice is your responsibility. Your computer, your choice.
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Until next week, remember these words of Washington Irving:
Great minds have purposes, others have wishes.
Bonus Quote: This is the true joy in life...being a force of
nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments
and grievances complaining that the world will not devote
itself to making you happy. --George Bernard Shaw
Have an interesting day, Simon
Questions? Comments? Email me at: tutor@gophercentral.com
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Archive Link: Internet Tutor Archives
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