Standards, BEST PRACTICE, accessibility, usability, XML

About SmackTheMouse

SmackTheMouse.com is a test site for my experiments in "universal webdesign".

  1. Technologies used
  2. CSS and JavaScript
  3. Common sense testing
  4. It is all in the name
  5. Prototype
  6. My articles
  7. Debate
  8. Copyright

Technologies used

SmackTheMouse uses XHTML as XML data store and XSLT to transform XHTML for storage to more advanced XHTML for presentation. The XSLT transformation adds TOC to the page if it contains more than 3 sub-headings, adds CSS and JavaScript, generates footnotes (numbering), et cetera.

The XSLT also generates two versions of each page, an XHTML 1.1 version served with mime-type "application/xhtml+xml" for browsers understanding it, and an XHTML 1.0 Strict! version for less advanced browsers like IE 7.0. "Server-side" I use ASP.NET and C# when needed.

SmackTheMouse uses valid XHTML, valid CSS, UNICODE and I try to follow the guidelines of usability, accessibility and all the Best Practices I know of. SmackTheMouse uses only CSS for layout, only tables for data. My website is supposed to function in any browser whatever the screen resolution and width of the browser window, and whatever font-size chosen by the user.

CSS and JavaScript

My webpages work if the user's browser or some other user agent don't support CSS or JavaScript or if such support has been turned off.

Why? Not just because some accessibility guidelines say they should do so, but because it gives me a good feeling that my webpages are solid and sound all the way. I can count on my webpages the day I want to add more features or for easy maintenance.

Common sense testing

I only test my webpages in the last three versions of IE, and in the last version of Firefox and Opera all for Windows. If webpages as "nice", simple and clean as mine don't work in some obscure browser or user agent, their poor users will encounter monstrous problems at other websites. Let such browser or user agent, completely letting their users down, die out as fast as possible.

Occasionally I test web functionality in a screen reader and in a text browser, just to enlighten myself. But I never test my webpages as such in anything but GUI browsers. 99 procent of the webdesigners of the world will never have the resources, the stomach or the wish to do more testing. I trust my instincts. As far as I know, SmackTheMouse.com works for everyone knowing the subject.

My dog Alpha
A photo of my dog Alpha

It is all in the name

I made up the name SmackTheMouse in East Greenland at the end of last millenium. I was head of tourism and business development in Ammassalik.

SmackTheMouse is a translation of the Danish word "klapmusen". "Klapmyds", a very different word, is the name of a big seal, "hooded seal" in English. When you know the word "klapmyds", it is very easy to make up the word "klapmusen", i.e.: SmackTheMouse.

I don't have a good picture of a hooded seal. I show you a picture of my Alpha dog, "Hansen". It has tasted hooded seal many times.

Prototype

SmackTheMouse is not design artistically speaking. I don't know more about colors, forms and proportions than any ordinary citizen. But that is not the main reason for SmackTheMouse being so simple as it is. I strongly believe that simplicity is the secret behind all good design that is also useful.

It is my experience that even when we have made a webpage as simple as it can be it is really only the beginning in the quest for simplicity. The litterature of the world can do with black text on white background and nothing else. Many web designers could learn from that.

My articles

My articles about web design are mostly written to myself as part of my learning process, but I hope they can inspire others. The "learning process" is probably a little too evident in some of the articles, especially when it comes to important and difficult matters I write about today even though I first learned about them myself yesterday!

Debate

For sevaral years my articles have been followed by a debate, but I have turned it off for the time being for several reasons. Let me mention just one: the techology behind the debate was very old (my very first web programming). I would like to program a more advanced debate. Email me comments instead.

Copyright

© 2000-2006 by Jesper Tverskov. All Rights Reserved.

Made to be a resource. My URLs are stable and will be maintained. Link to my web pages. That's what the web is all about. Teachers and instructors are welcome to use printed copies of my articles in their classes. Any other use requires permission.

Last updated 2006-06-29