A few fast thoughts before I go to the Dojo…
A BDSM event called "3D Days" has put up it’s
informational site. The event itself is certainly looking like it might be
worthwhile if you’re planning to be in Nashville. The real reason I bring it up
is this… the site si a perfect example of a second generation website. It is
not my intention to put down the authors, obviously they have got a lot fo work
on their hands and I am sure someone put a lot of time into it… but this site
has it all:
- Graphic horizontal separators (chains, no less)
- A large, photographic background image that tiles (with seams)
- Animated ‘3D’ GIF files to denote special features. Mercifully the
contact link is not an animated image of an envelope or anything.
- The main logo has no tie-in with the rest of the page.
- The links do something odd when you roll over them, I am not sure what
that’s all about.
I hope the event goes well for them… but I had to point it out as a perfect
example of almost everything I don’t miss about old style web
design 🙂
Today the Supreme Court
upheld portions of the COPA (child online protection act) by ruling that the
test of "local communities standards" when applied to websites is not
overly broad and therefore unconstitutional. While the law is in jeopardy for
other flaws this is a real blow to what I consider rational free speech.
Remember that this means that any image on your site that may be viewed by a
minor (warning pages are not a valid defense) that could be construed as against
local standards anywhere in the country may wind you up in jail. That
includes a bikini image if you get the wrong trailer park town.
This does not bode well I think for our friend
Barbara‘s
legal battle, a lawsuit that was aimed squarely at this portion of the
current legal climate.
On the business front, you may take some heart for us by reading
this article on a new game company. We are sending bits of our DNA attached
to carrier pigeons to these guys – hopefully they will hear our impassioned
plea.
And yes I will be fixing the blog over at Flaggs’
website tonight 🙂
That’s all for now… bye!