Accessibility an option?

There's a gentle buzz amoungst the web developing world while we all keep an eye out on Target (a very large US retailer). Target, in the face of a drawn out lawsuit brought forward by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), has dug its heels in essentially claiming that because their online store isn't a 'bricks and mortar' store, different rules apply. It seems a brave, if foolish, stance perhaps one that only an organisation as large as this could afford to take.

Whether it's a genuine belief that those with disabilities shouldn't be catered for by their website or whether its a cheap ploy to get some column inches remains to be seem, but it is surprising that a company is willing, not only to exclude potential customers from accessing their store, but also to actively anger those campaigning for improved design for disabilities.

It's starting to sound now however that Target will actually bring their site into line with the accessibility guidelines but it will be under the pretense that they did it of their own accord rather than because of pressure from elsewhere.

Related sites:
RNIB: Target Sued 08/09/2006
OUT-LAW.COM Target Sued 14/02/2006

Reuse the wheel!!

Seeing as I develop websites all day every day for clients, it seems natural that when I come to develop my own, I'd be looking to show off all of my tricks.

But when we started looking at developing a new blue hat (my web development company) website and decided that we should make use of the newer ideas on the web - blogging, podcasting etc a sudden realisation dawned upon us. This stuff is all readily available on the web. Google, amoungst many others, offer a comprehensive blogging piece of software. So, I ask, by using Google's software is a web developer wimping out. Perhaps this is missing out on a opportunity to develop a new piece of code (and demonstrate skills) or does this show that a web developer is making the best use of something that is already perfectly good (not broke so don't fix).

Personally, I think we should be concentrating on making the things that aren't readiliy available and if something is there, meets the requirements and can be used inexpensively (or for free in this case) then we use it.

In an hour, I'd setup my blog, posted and published my first article and was happily sending links to my friends. It was a lot quicker than building it myself and has enough flexibiliy to accommodate any design that I want to put to it. It will integrate directly into the newly developed website when that is ready to go online.

Welcome to the life

A very quick first, introductory post. This is the blog of John Puddifoot, web developer (extraordinaire - at least I like to think so).

I run a small web development company in the UK and I thought it's about time that I practiced what I preached. I love reading blogs and listening to podcasts and have encouraged and helped clients get involved in it, so here is mine.

I'll be discussing opportunities that I find with new technologies on the web, thoughts on internet news, such as the activities of Google, Yahoo, Microsoft etc and hopefully some of the issues that people running websites deal with on a day to day basis. Maybe there are solutions to these somewhere!

I hope that by doing this I'll help some people understand some things. I'll help myself understand some things and I'll get some feedback from people about these things which either supports or changes my opinions on these things.

I also hope to spend some time discovering new words (rather than relying on 'things').