oz: the blog of glenda sims ( the goodwitch)

Am I dreaming? An Event Apart is coming to Austin, November 6th and the venue is the Alamo Drafthouse. Wanna spend a day with Jeffrey Zeldman, Eric Meyer and Jason Santa Maria? Think it can’t get any better than that? Well…how ’bout the marvelous Molly Holzschlag!

I can’t wait! A delicious web conference deep in the heart of Texas at the Alamo Drafthouse. “The seats are comfy, the sightlines clear, the screen sizeable, and the food wonderful. All this and free wifi, too!”

So, what makes An Event Apart so very special? It isn’t your usual conference….ooooo nooooo…this is “a concentrated, creative learning session that will change the way you approach web design. You will learn how to:”

• Design, write, and structure your site to communicate clearly and effectively.
• Let user needs and business goals guide redesigns, and get buy-in from bosses and clients.
• Translate even the most sophisticated and complex visual designs to CSS layouts that work.
• Push CSS design to the limit with unique ideas and concepts.

You’ll also gain insight into how experienced standards-based designers and developers approach and solve common problems as Eric and Jeffrey delve into recent projects, showing how they approach design and coding in their own client work.

This is not an introductory class. Not a rehashing of basics. Not for beginners. Not to be missed.

Race ya to the registration page! $50 discount if your register by October 6th. Ready! Set! Go!

Imagine a web where everyone has access… regardless of their physical or mental ability. This is the vision behind the Accessibility Internet Rally (AIR) a friendly and fun competition that pairs web developers with local non-profits to create accessible websites. Even before the AIR awards ceremony, web developers win by receiving valuable technical accessibility training; Non-Profits win by getting a new and accessible web presence and we all win by moving forward on the path of web access for all.

This year’s AIR Austin event was announced by none other than our chair, Hugh Forrest (who also happens to be the groovy event director of SXSW). Hugh realized the value of accessibility long before it was cool. By making sure this topic has a prominent place at the SXSW Interactive event, he has already influenced hundreds of web developers around the world.

At the AIR Press Conference, Hugh inspired me with these words:

Barrier-free information access is becoming not simply the goal, but the norm. And the web continues to become a much better place as a result.

The ripple effect of the AIR competition is profound as developers continue to use their new skills again and again in their daily work, explained Sharron Rush, Executive Director of Knowbility. This event creates long-term benefits while giving participants an opportunity to connect with Austin web developers and non-profits in a profound and meaningful way.

Events like AIR really keep Austin healthy, creative and strong. Do you believe the web is for everyone? Are you ready to improve the availability of accessible information technology? Join us by participating in AIR-Austin. Kick-off is October 3rd. Rally Day is October 21st.

Let the Race Begin!

Have you ever had a tagging competition? Check out the Google Image Labeler. I swear, it feels like a game.

How does it work?
You’ll be randomly paired with a partner who’s online and using the feature. Over a 90-second period, you and your partner will be shown the same set of images and asked to provide as many labels as possible to describe each image you see. When your label matches your partner’s label, you’ll earn some points and move on to the next image until time runs out. After time expires, you can explore the images you’ve seen and the websites where those images were found. And we’ll show you the points you’ve earned throughout the session.

Now…don’t you want to see if you can beat my score?

Any one considering going to SXSW Interactive in Austin March 9-13, 2007? It is the most amazing web conference on the planet. I think of it as a great BIG IDEA conference. When explaining to others how to get the most out of SXSWi I have been known to say:

“SXSW is about the people. Go to the panels, go to the parties, introduce yourself to the person next to you. Seek out new people. Find out what treasures are overflowing in the brains all around you. Talk about your passions and then listen. I mean really LISTEN. Suspend judgement. Truly try on the perspective of the brilliant human being sitting next to you. Then let the magic potion of ideas, words and reality transform your thinking and open your eyes to new possibilities.”

And if you are planning to go…head to the sxsw panel picker and vote for the panels you’d most want to hear. This is democracy in action people!

Deadline for voting on Panels (round 1) is September 8th.