((((((((((((((((( WEBREFERENCE UPDATE NEWSLETTER )))))))))))))))))
JANUARY 04, 1999
_____________________________SPONSORS_____________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Keynote Systems and CyberSites.
__________________________________________________________________
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
FREE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL OF YOUR E-COMMERCE WEB SITE
Are you losing customers or revenue because your web site is
too slow or slower than your competitors? Are your Internet
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Measure, assure and improve your web-site quality of service
from 35 cities worldwide -- for one week, for free.
http://www.keynote.com/adv/wrn8.html
>From Keynote Systems, the Internet Performance Authority.
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
Now with over 52800 subscribers
http://www.webreference.com <- link to us today
http://www.webreference.com/new/ <- archive, subscribe/unsubscribe
New this week on WebReference.com and the Web:
1. DOC JAVASCRIPT: DOCJSLIB Version 4.0: Scrollers, Watermarks,
and Games
2. GIORDAN ON GRAPHICS: Web site Makeover - Microtech International
3. DHTML LAB: HierMenus CENTRAL
4. E-COMMERCE WATCH: Growing a Tree Of Trust -- Part One
5. UPDATE: Universal Related Scrolling Menus v1.1
6. NEW LINKS: Internet Security
7. INTERVIEW: Information Architect Lou Rosenfeld
8. NEW SITE: mylook.com
9. OTHER VOICES: Book Review: StrikingItRich.com
Spread the word! Feel free to send a copy of this newsletter to
your friends and colleagues, and while you're at it, snap a link
to WebReference.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. DOC JAVASCRIPT: DOCJSLIB Version 4.0: Scrollers, Watermarks,
and Games
The DOC's expanded his library code to include APIzed versions of
his cross-browser scroller and watermarking software. With the new
library, he shows how you can streamline the scroller code and not
worry about messy browser detection. By Dr. Yehuda Shiran.
http://www.webreference.com/js/column33/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2. GIORDAN ON GRAPHICS: Web site Makeover - Microtech International
A behind-the-scenes look at a site redesign that accommodates
Microtech's increasing traffic and communication requirements.
Dan profiles the process, considering issues such as traffic
patterns, navigation, and of course, graphics and layout issues.
By Dan Giordan.
http://www.webreference.com/graphics/column5/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. DHTML LAB: HierMenus CENTRAL
Everything you've always wanted to know about the hierarchical
menus script in one easy-to-navigate site. Download the latest
version, read the new FAQ or jump to the relevant columns for a
line-by-line discussion. An added bonus for you menu buffs:
Version 4.0 beta 1! Try it out and give us your feedback.
By Peter Belesis.
http://www.webreference.com/dhtml/hiermenus/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4. E-COMMERCE WATCH: Growing a Tree Of Trust -- Part One
Planting the seeds for a Public Key Infrastructure can bring you
closer to the ultimate in security solutions. Learn what it takes
to grow your own tree of trust that protects you, your employees,
and your customers from all forms of nasty security problems. By
Mark Merkow.
http://www.webreference.com/ecommerce/mm/column17/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5. UPDATE: Universal Related Scrolling Menus v1.1
We found and squashed two bugs in these handy live popdown and
scrolling menus. Early versions of Netscape and Explorer choked
on referencing named forms, we'll show you the workaround. By
Andrew King.
http://www.webreference.com/dev/menus/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6. NEW LINKS: Internet Security
>Internet Security
They say it's always better to be safe than sorry. These resources
can show you how to protect your valuable data.
http://www.webreference.com/internet/security.html
+--------- HOW-TO: Add Community to your site ------------+
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and 'commune' with them, your site gains the life and fire only
*people* can bring. The PeoplePanel(sm) is a persistent window
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and "who's online" to your site. No downloads, plug-ins or risk!
>> Click NOW for real-time demo showing your site:
>> http://www.PeoplePanel.com?demo=3
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
Amazon recently picked _Information Architecture for the World Wide
Web_ as the best computer book of 1998. Unlike other how-to books
on the Web this book takes a higher level approach to large-scale
Web site design. The book is really an info architect's handbook:
it shows the entire process of designing large-scale site design
and redesign.
The book was written by two fellow Ann-Arborites, Lou Rosenfeld
and Peter Morville, both hold Masters in Information and Library
Studies. They've taken the knowledge and experience they've acquired
through their work and studies, translated for the Web, and
distilled it all down into this unique book.
The book is packed with useful information on making your site
easier to navigate and scale in size gracefully. Topics include
how to effectively organize information, navigation design,
labeling and searching systems, plus the entire process of site
rearchitecture. Every time I read this book I find something new
I can use on WebReference, for example last night I changed the
global navigation bar. It now has five unambiguous options
("newsletter" instead of the mysterious "update"). The navigation,
labeling, and searching sections are especially useful.
I caught up with coauthor Lou Rosenfeld and interviewed him about
his best-selling book:
> How do you feel about winning Amazon's award?
"We're not going to Disneyland, but we're pretty danged thrilled
that Somebody Up There (maybe Jeff Bezos?) likes us... We've been
evangelizing information architecture for years, and we're grateful
that so many readers have been receptive to our book."
> Summarize what the book's about for me, in your own words.
"Two main sections comprise the guts of the book. The first
set of chapters helps you understand the foundations of information
architecture: ways of organizing your information, how to label it,
how to design systems for navigating it, and how to make searching
it easier for users. The second section places information architecture
within the broader context of the site development process, from
research to conceptual design to production, and provides practical
advice to get you through that process (e.g., useful exercises for
your team to complete at each step of the way). Our goal is not to
supply readers with the "perfect information architecture" for their
sites (there is no such thing); instead, we try to provide a
framework, terminology, and a process to help readers make informed
decisions and develop better information architectures."
> Do you plan a sequel/second edition?
"We're in the midst of discussions with O'Reilly; it's not yet clear
to us whether it makes sense to write a second edition, write another
book, or pursue something else entirely. Since we wrote this book,
we've learned a lot much more about information architecture and
feel that our book covers only part of the story. XML and other
innovations are pushing "bottom up" (document-level) information
architecture to the fore, and we're really looking forward to writing
about this topic, regardless of the venue. We've just begun to scratch
the surface in some of our recent "Web Architect" columns in Web Review
Magazine."
> How has the book changed your life?
"Well, the polar bear on the cover means I have yet one more
inexplicable thing to explain to my parents about my career...
Seriously, even if the reviews hadn't been so positive, the fact
that the book is selling so well means that readers are recognizing
that their sites already have information architectures and that
these architectures could be much better, regardless of whether
they agree with our advice on how to make these improvements."
> How many copies of the book have been sold?
"One part of the mystique of being an O'Reilly author is that as soon
as your book ships, a shiny O'Reilly truck pulls into your driveway
and uniformed O'Reilly professionals install a patented naugahyde-clad
"Salesometer" in your living room. Unfortunately, it's currently in
the blink. So we're guessing that our book has sold about 20,000 copies."
This book should be on the desk of anyone creating a Web site.
Information Architecture for the World Wide Web
Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville
O'Reilly, 1998. $24.95
ISBN: 1-56592-282-4
http://www.ora.com/catalog/infotecture/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8. NEW SITE: mylook.com
Mylook.com acts like your own custom portal and shows what's
happening right now on the Web. It displays the latest headlines/
features from numerous sources, plus real-time Web cams. All media
sources are customizable and updated continuously using
unobtrusive robot technology.
The site defaults to popular news/content sources in various
categories (technology, business, sports...) and bubbles up the
latest headlines to the top of the page. You can change the default
news sources, live Web cams, and page layout to your liking in the
preferences area, and mylook remembers your settings.
The site was developed by JJ, a 24 year-old programmer to
challenge the current politics and limitations of commercial portal
sites (who usually carry only their own or their partner's news).
He says he needed to redirect his neglected energy toward something
worthwhile. JJ says he lives in Denver, CO and "mainly lives off of
strong caffeinated beverages." JJ's done a superb job, and the site
is a great way to keeping up with the news you'll use.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9. OTHER VOICES: Book Review: StrikingItRich.com
Profiles of 23 Incredibly Successful Websites You've Probably
Never Heard Of! If you'd like to make money from your Web site,
find out how others have managed to do just that.
http://www.webdeveloper.com/reviews/book38.html
That's it for this week, see you next time.
Andrew King
Managing Editor, WebReference.com
update@webreference.com
+----------- ANNOUNCING THE NEWS HARVESTER INSTALLER ------------+
The fastest news ticker on the Web, available for your site free,
just got easier to install. And it's Unix and NT compatible!
Get yours NOW! http://www.webreference.com/headlines/nh/
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------ INTERNATIONAL WEBMASTERS ASSOCIATION --------------+
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for the International Webmasters Association (IWA). The IWA and
WebRef have partnered to better serve our members by providing
timely, relevant info to help stay on top of their profession.
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Also on Internet.com .... http://www.Internet.com
Guide to Internet Access and the WWW http://www.boardwatch.com
The best Web sites every moment http://www.coolcentral.com
The Reference Desk for Web Marketing http://www.cyberatlas.com
The latest Internet news http://www.internetNews.com
How to do e-commerce on the Internet http://e-comm.internet.com
The Leading Business Internet Magazine http://www.internetworld.com
Java applets: freeware and shareware http://www.javaboutique.com
A free cut & paste JavaScript library http://javascriptsource.com
The definitive high-tech encyclopedia http://www.pcwebopaedia.com
Boost your site's search placement http://searchenginewatch.com
ServerWatch ratings and reviews http://www.serverwatch.com
Download Internet apps 4 WIN 3.x/95/NT http://www.stroud.com
THE list of ISPs with 3,000+ http://www.thelist.com
The Web Developer's Virtual Library http://www.wdvl.com
Web server software comparisons http://www.webcompare.com
WebDeveloper, resources and tips http://www.webdeveloper.com
The developer's guide to webmastery http://www.webreference.com
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