Archive for November 2002

Nua Internet Surveys: Internet users impatient with search results, which is no big surprise. However, what I found enlightening is that only 7.5 percent of the users refined their search when they didn’t get successful results on the first try. Instead, they go to another search engine.

I try again and look at a different perspective or remove / add key words. No biggie and I usually get what I need.

Only 23 percent of searchers go beyond the second page. In my case, it depends. If I’m looking for a hard-to-find topic, then I’ll go through a lot more pages before giving up. I’ve gone 5+ pages many times and found what I needed in those later pages.

It’s not a surprise that 52 percent use the same search engine, while 35 alternate among favorite search engines. I typically use Google every time, but when I am not looking for something specific, I go to Yahoo and use its categories. [Link Neat New Stuff I Found This Week]

Dori maps the differences between three WYSIWYG programs and handcoding in the categories of lines, characters, JavaScript quality, and valid XHTML as checked in 2000 and in 2002. It ain’t bettah!

Nick Usborne has contributed an article to User Interface Engineering’s Conference site: The Art of Being Human, which shows how to add a little humanity in Web sites and emails.

Currently, I’m reading his book, Net Words: Creating High-Impact Online Copy. He practices what he preaches and it’s demonstrated in his writings and presentations.

Can’t think of much today since the family is going to see Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The last time I went to a movie in the theater was to see the previous Potter movie. Usually, I wait until they come out on video so I can watch them in captions.

However, I read the books and the kids are big fans. We’re going to a showing right after school, so it shan’t be too bad… we hope!

Mark Irons explains, “There are many personal Web sites. The vast majority are mediocre. Some are bad. Fewer are good. An extremely small number are excellent.

These excellent sites — and I use excellent subjectively — fascinate me. Why is finding a new one such a delight? What distinguishes them from the rest? What unnamable yet instantly recognizable quality do they possess?”

He breaks out the patterns into five subjects in Patterns for Personal Web Sites. [Link WebWord]

Microsoft actually has a nice manual available for free. The company uses the Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications for writing technical articles. Though aimed at MS employees, the searchable document offers usage on technical terms and grammar tips. [Link Lockergnome]

Big surprise! Pop-up ads are, by far, the most annoying advertising tactic. The stats from Pop-Up Ads: More Problem Than Profits? say it all. The winner is 74% for pop-ups and behind it is banner ads at 9%.

Cramsession has a three-parter on CSS for Boneheads. Use the links within this entry because a couple of the links are broken and these have been confirmed as of today. CSS for Boneheads – Part 1 is an introduction to CSS with a look at classes and divs.

CSS for Boneheads – Part 2 shows you how to make your site qualify for the table-less list. If you’re wondering where your entry is on the list, don’t fret! I’ve got 70+ waiting for me. Y’all are coming in faster than I can type. OK, OK, I have a few things that get in the way… just little things like kids, job, house… you forgive me, don’t you?

Back on track. CSS for Boneheads – Part 3 covers making CSS sites into printer perfect pages. [Link Tech Specialist]

Enter a URL in GetContentSize to find out four things: size of a Web page in bytes, size of page’s text, percentage of the page’s weight devoted to text, and the page’s text content itself, without code.

Frank Sinatra rolling over in his grave? My Way is trying to be the Google of Yahoo-style portals with no ads, no pop ups, no this ‘n that.

Only… it has a swoosh logo. I still remember 37signal’s eNormicom, a spoof of creating a dot net company. This was in 2000, year of the swoosh backlash campaign. Guess MyWay forgot one no-no.

Story behind MyWay and supported commentary.