Content Is King, pt. 307

May 6, 2008

There’s been a lot of great discussion lately about content on the web. I’ll sum it up like this: content is more important than the wrapper it comes in. It’s an old, battered trope.

I hear you, internets. And thanks. I needed a kick in the ass. Badly. The length of time between my posts here at TNF has increased dramatically over the last few months, and I feel that much less plugged in with every posting opportunity I miss.

I started redesigning TNF – what? – probably three months ago. The problem with my mockups: they did nothing but reproduce the current functionality in a slicker, shinier wrapper. I couldn’t figure out why I was so unexcited by work that so nicely fit the look I’d wanted to achieve.

Then all of this talk about content caught my ear. And then, even more importantly, I discovered Dean Allen’s recently relaunched Textism. If Dean only made his posts available via fax, I’d subscribe. They’re that good. And I hate faxes.

Just keeping the gears oiled and turning is the hardest part. This blog helps me engage with ideas, and to stay inspired I need something that makes it easy to post whatever inspires me, whenever it inspires me. Smaller content chunks need a place right alongside the bigger chunks. My stuff and found stuff.

So there’s a redesign, and it’s coming soon. Partly because I’m switching from WordPress to ExpressionEngine – and partly because I feel the need for a fresh start – I’m considering dumping my entire post history and starting fresh. And this first design, we’re talking very little in the way of bells and whistles. This will be scaffolding with a purpose: Get re-engaged with the content. Write more, worry less.

And by the way: I completely recognize the humor in citing Textism here, with Dean so recently proclaiming that you “couldn’t give a flying roll of monkey doughnuts” about my personal site redesign.

He’s probably right. I just say “pbbbbt.”

The HTML kbd Element

April 15, 2008

I’m often confronted with a markup conundrum particular to those of us blogging about code, HTML or otherwise: how do I markup a reference to an element when it’s not strictly quoted code. For instance, let’s say I want to reference the strong HTML element, but I don’t find it necessary to include the brackets since I’m only referring to the concept of the element, not an actual instance – for which I’d use the code tag.

I’ve got a proposal: the kbd element.

According to the always helpful HTML Pocket Reference, the kbd element is one that indicates “text entered by the user.” I know it’s a bit of a stretch, but in an instance where you’re suggesting an element to be used in code, I think this element fits. It’s text we’re suggesting could be entered by the user.

Thoughts?

Top 10 Reasons I Love vi

April 9, 2008

Are you on Linux? You already have it.

  1. The “.” command.
  2. Named buffers.
  3. Catastrophic computer crashes are so much less intimidating when you know how to edit config files on the command line.
  4. Esoteric key commands are my bag, baby.
  5. The H, M, and L movement commands.
  6. It never rarely crashes.
  7. File-type plugins (a la Taskpaper Vim).
  8. Forgetting how to use “normal” key commands - like ctrl-v for paste.
  9. :Edit windowing.
  10. Unbeatable speed on search and search-and-replace.