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By Bud Kraus
bud@joyofcode.com
Joy Of Code
Creator And Instructor

v4 i14
Originally Published: September 11, 2008

A Blurb And Click Edition Of Joy Gems

Right For The Web?

I am fascinated by the differences in writing styles for print and for the web. In print you can use figures of speech, but on the web, forget it. No one will find you online if your pages are filled with idioms, puns, and phrases not meant to be taken literally (much as I love them because they're simply irresistible!!)

While Jakob Nielsen doesn't express my point exactly in Writing Style for Print vs. Web, it's hard to believe that he'd disagree with my premise.

They Read Web Pages, Don't They?

People don't really read web pages as you may know. Sites are mainly lots of lists , bullet points, and blurbs, right? We don't have sound bites on the web, we have "eye bites" as eyes dart around, hardly ever moving in a straight line.

While I'm on the topic of Reading, Writing, and Nielsen see How Little Do User's Read?

The Key To Keyword Research Is...

What if you can't afford a fancy schmancy Search Engine Optimization firm to raise the visibility of your site in the major search engines? What if you have to use yourself, your team, and maybe your clients to help out? What if you need to learn how to use tools like Wordtracker?

Are you aware that when it comes to keyword research, relevance and popularity are the key words? Start reading SEO Basics: Effective Iterative Keyword Research in 2008.

I Heard That The Web Was Good For The Deaf

If you thought so - as I once did - you couldn't be more incorrect.

As I've learned from teaching a deaf person in class and online, a deaf person does not translate the written word into something understandable as those who can hear. From this experience I realized that American Sign Language really is a language. The web is as much a barrier - albeit in a very different way - for the deaf as it is for those who are blind or visually impaired.

From A List Apart, I give you Lisa Herrod's Deafness And The User Experience.