In an effort to help you keep your weblog awesome, this is our second article in the Criteria Series here at the Canadian Weblog Awards. This is an important article, because it is about the second point in the Design component of our judging criteria: functionality.

Functionality relates directly to our first Design criterion, usability and accessibility, so take a look at that first article in our Criteria Series if you missed out.

What do we mean by functionality?

When we look at a weblog for functionality, we are looking to see that all of its components are functional. Functionality refers to all working parts of your website but specifically to the following components/factors:

weblog load times

widgets (flash, javascript, etc.)

HTML/CSS that works across different browsers

commenting system

links

This seems like a no-brainer that it is best if all of a weblog's parts work, but it is common to come across weblogs with parts that are broken, and it can create a frustrating reader experience.

Why is functionality so important?

If you have broken elements in your sidebar like broken mp3 players or a Twitter widget, the impression is that you don't care much about your weblog or your readers' experience of it. It is a little like inviting guests over and then not bothering to move stray clutter off the couch.

If the broken element is something integral to the user experience such as comments, it can feel like a bit of an affront to a reader. It is not uncommon for someone to try to leave a comment on a weblog only to be confronted with an error page or a broken publish button. Readers have been invited to participate in a conversation only to be denied, usually at the last minute after the reader has already taken the time to type up their comment.

The worst offender with regard to functionality is having faulty CSS and HTML code in the basic design of your website so that it does not even render properly in some browsers. This can, in some cases, deny a reader access to your weblog altogether.

Just as in offline life, appearance and social engagement do matter, and, generally, weblogs are a social experience. We share of our knowledge and lives and invite engagement with our readers through the interactive components our websites.

By making sure that the interactive pieces of your weblog are functional and by removing the broken bits that can clutter up your template, you communicate volumes to your readers not only about your level of care for your website but also your level of care for your audience without having even written a word.

A good question to ask yourself is this: Why invite people to my website if they can't even use the stuff I've stuck on it?

How can you improve the functionality of your weblog?

Occasionally, when a browser releases a new version or the website that supports your widgets or forms updates their code, your website can lose some functionality. One way to test this is to open up your weblog within several different browsers and manually go through each of your weblog's components, including things like e-mail forms and external links, to see if they function well in each browser. Replace any broken code with fresh code from the widget or form's host, or, if it can't be fixed, deleted the broken component.

There are a variety of web test tools that you can use to test your website's load times, validate your HTML, and check for broken links. Use these tools, or have your website designer use them, or find someone who knows how to use them and is willing to help you increase your weblog functionality, because it will make all the difference when it comes to making an impression on the web.

Also, no one knows your site like your readers, so don't be afraid to ask them about their user experience with regard to different components of your weblog. If you ask, they will tell you if something isn't working for them, and theirs is the most valuable opinion of all.

In conclusion:

When you have a public website, it invites an audience and some level of social interaction. Let that invite be an invitation to a welcoming experience for your readers, one that greets them the way you would like to be greeted.

In other words, clean up the place a bit (see: fix or delete broken elements) and maybe make a pot of coffee (see: ensure working comments and contact forms). Your readers might just decide to stick around for a while, and you'll probably enjoy the company.

Labels: Criteria Series, how to

Being that the 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards are a juried competition, meaning that there will be a panel of jurors to judge each weblog against a particular set of criteria, we have made that set of criteria available from the outset. It only seemed right not only to share our basis for judgment with all the nominators and nominees but also to be clear about what each criterion meant within the context of weblogs, so this is the first of a series of articles about how to "do blogging good" in terms of both design and content.

This first article in our Criteria Series is about the usability and accessibility aspects of weblog design.

In the Canadian Weblog Awards set of criteria, usability and accessibility refers to the general user-friendliness and ease of navigation for people of all abilities. Creating a weblog with readily available and negotiable navigation and design is essential to creating a weblog that others will visit repeatedly over time. By taking usability and accessibility into account, you will create a website that physically acknowledges the needs of your readership and develops a more transparent relationship between you and the reader.

In short, designing an easily usable and accessible website tells your audience that you are aware and engaged and that they are important to you.

12 Ways to Increase the Usability
and Accessibility of Your Weblog

Make sure to check your weblog design's compatibility within a variety of different browsers.

If your website will not show up properly or even at all on some browsers, you will alienate readers before they can even access your content. A good tool for testing browser compatibility is Browsershots, a service that loads your website in different browsers and shows you screenshots of the results.

Make sure that you use a legible font size, especially for your main content.

You might like the look of a smaller font — I don't know why, but you might like your text this small for some reason — but the fact is that a good number of people have difficulty reading a smaller font size and will not stay to read your content.

Make sure that the colours you choose for backgrounds, fonts, and links are of a high enough contrast that one will not obscure the other.

For instance, if I use a light font on a light background — this yellow font is really hard to read — most readers will be unable or flat out unwilling to bother with the effort it would take to read your content.

Likewise, link text should stand out from both the background colour and the non-link text so that users can easily identify which text leads to information external to the present page. Use a high contrast colour for the font, and adding an underline to link text is also helpful. Links that are barely distinguishable from the surrounding text are rendered nearly useless by their invisibility.

It is also optimal if link text reflects what the link actually points to and does not merely say something like "click here". For example:

✔ There are some web pages that really suck.
X Some web pages really suck. Click here to see them.

The reason for this is that auditory users, people who cannot scan webpages quickly due to visual disabilities, and individuals like myself who sometimes use link text as a brief content overview will tab through a page to see what links are available. If the link text does not reveal what the link is referring to, some users will skip a majority of the content in favour of a website that is more clear about its sources and other link content.

It is also important to take colour blindness into account when it comes to contrast and colour in design. Approximately seven to ten percent of the population has some form of colour blindness or colour deficiency, the majority of those being red-green colour blind, so it is a good idea to test your website colour scheme using the Color Scheme Designer.

When posting images, make sure to use alternative text attributes, otherwise known as "alt text".

Alt text describes the content of the image, which is especially useful for readers who are unable to see the image shown due to the technology they are using or visual disability. Read "Writing effective ALT text for images" to learn more.

Make sure that your weblog's title is apparent.

This may seem logical, but a lot of weblogs are not clear about what they are called at all. I frequently come across weblogs that have one title in the browser tab and another on the actual weblog that does not act as a link to the weblog in question.

Place the weblog title in a spot at or very near the top of the page, make sure that it is also a link to the main page, and make sure that it also agrees with the title you have set to appear in the browser tab. Otherwise, no one will know how to refer to your website.

Make sure that you place your website's primary navigation links above the fold, which is approximately within the top 600 pixels of your website.

There are exceptions to this rule, such as TMZ's dynamic link that takes users to the next page at the bottom of their website, but static primary navigation links that do not change with page content are best placed where users can easily and consistently find them. Placing the links to static content like an about/FAQ page, contact information, and an archives page above the fold so that a user can navigate through the different pages on your website without having to hunt through all of your content creates a positive experience with an eye to transparency.

With this in mind, though, do not try to cram as much content as you can above the fold, because it will put you in danger of overcrowding the space and losing the emphasis on certain links over others. This is merely a reminder to keep your main navigation links prominent and accessible.

Don't provide multiple navigation areas for the same set of links.

If you have a set of links pointing to your best writing at the top of your page, do not also put them in your sidebar and/or at the end of each entry. This is needlessly repetitive, and, rather than underscore the importance of those links, it confuses the reader. Instead, show the links' importance by their visual prominence on the website.

Regularly check your links to make sure that they are not broken.

Broken links mean a frustrated reader, and it tells your audience that you don't care whether they can access the information or not.

Make sure that you have a static about/FAQ page devoted to some kind of explanation of yourself and/or the weblog.

Readers like to know whose material they are reading, and since they are likely not going to pile through twenty weblog entries to find out who you are, it is a good idea to make that clear on a static page aside from your string of weblog entries. Perfectly good weblogs are often passed over because there is no way to find out who it is that stands behind the content. An about/FAQ page acts as an introduction of yourself to the reader. Think of your about/FAQ page like the author blurb on a book's dust jacket.

Make sure that you have the archives listed on either your main page or a static page that you link to from the main page.

It is both a common and an irritating mistake not to allow access to your weblog's archives if you want to have a regular readership. When a new reader finds a weblog that they like, it can be frustrating if there are not archives available to pour through, and it creates an air of unfriendly exclusion.

Avoid installing pop-up content or advertising that appears over your main content.

This is irritating to the people who just want to access your content. If you don't know why this is irritating, there is something wrong with you.

Make sure that links pointing to pages within your own weblog open within the same window.

Clicking on a link only to have it force open a new tab or browser window is unnecessary and forces the reader to have to click back and forth between windows. It is usually a good idea to leave the choice to open new tabs or windows up to the individual reader rather than force unnecessary activity that could mean driving them away from using your website.


Most aspects of web design, if not directly, are related in some way to usability and accessibility, so whether you are a designer or an author who values your readers, I would love to hear your feedback. If you have any questions or suggestions, please open up the discussion in the comments.

Labels: Criteria Series, how to

Hello! I took a short semi-vacation over this last week in order to concentrate more fully on certain projects, and I missed this place entirely too much. In fact, I had my fingers hovering over the keys here on Wednesday of last week, ready to dive in for a couple of hours, but I conjured up some self-discipline and stepped away from the laptop.

But now I'm back! And I have opportunity to offer you!

Aside from articles here at the Canadian Weblog Awards about site-specific business, interviews with nominees, and upcoming pieces about how to build a better weblog, I want you to share your knowledge about the blogging tools you use to create your weblogs.

Do you use Blogger, WordPress, Squarespace, or self-host your weblog? Where do you host your images? What photography tips do you have for the images you use in your weblog entries? What do you use to help you with the design elements of your weblog? What features do you like and which could use some changes? How do you use said tools in the service of your blogging?

Send all reviews and how-tos as an e-mail attachment to schmutzie [at] gmail [dot] com. All articles are subject to review and minimal grammatical/visual editing. If you are unsure of your idea or have any other questions, feel free to shoot me an e-mail so we can put our heads together.

These are our tools of the trade, so let's help each other get the most out of them. If you would like to write a 250 to 15000-word article about a weblog-related tool at the Canadian Weblog Awards, we would welcome your review and/or how-to. Have at it!

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PS. The Canadian Weblog Awards has a new button!

<a href="http://www.canadianweblogawards.com" title="2010 Canadian Weblog Awards"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v491/schmutzie_pickles/buttons/2010cwa_wedoblogginggood.png" border="0" alt="2010 Canadian Weblog Awards" /></a>

Feel free to copy and paste the above code for use in your own weblog.

This button was originally created as an ad to promote the 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards at Life As A Human:

Life As A Human is a lifezine that explores, celebrates and discusses the weird, wonderful, challenging, funny and poignant experience of being human. We feature a diversity of inspired writing that creatively probes the status quo – and the fascinating nooks and crannies of our human experience.

Life As A Human is a Canada-based supporter of life writing, including my own, so check them out!

Labels: buttons, CWA business, outreach

I have not been shy about the fact that my spoken and written French are sorely lacking despite my excellent high school grades in the subject, so I was thrilled when Lynne Faubert stepped forward to offer her English-French translation services for our static pages. Thanks again, Lynne!

One thing I put off for a bit, though, was creating Canadian Weblog Awards buttons in French, because it takes a good chunk of time to recreate 38 buttons and work up 38 strings of code that you can copy and paste to your weblogs. Jean-Robert of Mesure et demesure gave me the nudge I needed to get moving the other day when he asked me if I had website buttons in French for him to use, and I got to work right away. Now Jean-Robert and everyone else, English or French, can show off their nomination into the 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards!

  

So, if you've been waiting for French language buttons to make an appearance, or if you've yet to add buttons announcing your nomination, grab a 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards button. Simply copy and paste the code that follows the button you want and paste it into your template or into an individual weblog entry.

Enjoy!

Labels: CWA business

Tornwordo authors Sticky Crows, which has been nominated in the LGBTQ category of the 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards.

Why blogging?

Like many bloggers, it started out as a way of keeping family and friends up to date. Since I come from California, I got tired of repeating myself and paying so much in long distance, so blogging seemed a logical money saving idea. Little did I know that I'd be bitten hard by the blogging bug. I can remember at the beginning rushing home from work to see if there were any comments. Such a thrill. I still get a kick out of comments, but I don't rush home anymore to see them. For the first few years I blogged every day, but now it's a few times per week.

Where does your blog fit into your creative portfolio? Is blogging your primary outlet, or do you publish/create elsewhere?

I'd like to think I create elsewhere. I play the piano and write music, and I invent games and activities for the classroom, but I don't publish anywhere else. Unless you count the comments I leave on other people's blogs.

This is your fifth year blogging at Sticky Crows. How has your blogging style/content/attitude changed since you first started?

I think I tried harder at the beginning. Not only did I post every day, but I went in for Half Nekkid Thursday and posted lots of videos of me and the city. I have sung and danced (shudder) on the blog and built up a library of videos on Youtube. I think it's thanks to doing those things that I continue to blog. It's like a living scrapbook of sorts and although the march of time seems slow, one click to a post from five years ago can really highlight how much changes. I'm none too happy about aging, but what are you gonna do? The blog these days is much more of a laid back journal. I don't try too hard now, but I've kept a certain approach since the beginning. Write like you are sitting down with an old friend over coffee, eager to share the news. I think that's what has helped me build a following (albeit small) as people "feel" that through the writing.

You weren't born in Canada. How did you come to being a Canadian from your American roots?

Ah yes, the perennial question. I did a series on that question called "The Road to Montreal", because everyone wants to know the same thing.

In a nutshell, gay bi-national couples (spouse is Canadian) cannot live legally together in the US. Canada actually gives special consideration to couples in this situation when evaluating immigration requests. So, yay Canada. I hate to say it, but I really do feel more Canadian than American. I don't feel like a traitor either, I feel more like the US betrayed me.



Did you suffer any culture shock when you moved to Canada? Are there any particular Canadianisms you've noticed? Do we really sound like we say "aboot"?

Living in Quebec was definitely a culture shock. It is unlike the rest of Canada in that the people here generally consider themselves Quebecois first, and Canadian second. Plus, of course, the language. Upon arriving here, I enrolled in French school and have become fluent, although it was probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. There are definite cultural differences between anglophones and francophones. A simple example, when English speakers decline an invitation, we always offer an excuse, even if it is untrue, whereas French speakers do not. This was hard to adapt to at first but now it feels liberating. If I don't want to do something, I can just say, "no, I'd rather not" and leave it at that. I have made a few anglophone friends and there are a few words that sometimes jump out at me as different. Mostly it's the "ou" pronunciation in words like house and out. To me it sounds more like how-oose and ow-oot. So yeah, a bit of an accent. It's funny though, when I go back home to California to visit the family, they say I've adopted a Canadian accent. I don't see why not, Madonna has done the same thing from living in London. It's probably natural.

What are your must-reads?

Oh my. I'm not going to list the 130 blogs on my reader. But I do keep up on all of them. I hate to mention any for fear of insulting someone, but here goes anyway. I keep up on the gay news via Joemygod, and I keep up on a lot of issues in Canada via We Move to Canada. Of course, I love the Yarn Harlot, too.

As for personal blogs, I never miss Rox's posts, a true blue (red?) Canadian in Alberta, and I enjoy Lyvvie's blog, another American expat now in Australia. Those are just a few of my faves. I have many more. Sometimes I click the "next blog" button on blogspot blogs and surf. I've found some great blogs that way.

If you were to impart some knowledge to an aspiring blogger, what would you tell them?

I would tell them that to have a successful blog, have something to say. Post consistently. Don't let weeks go by between posts. But don't post twenty five times a day either with any little thought or thing that pops into your head. There's Twitter and Facebook for that. And the golden rule applies. You generally receive as many comments as you leave around the blogosphere. Have fun and ignore those (always anonymous commenters) who dump on you or your writing. Good luck!

Labels: interviews, LGBTQ

Our very own 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards juror and now nominee in both the Family & Parenting and Life categories, Tanis Miller, has won Best Canadian Blog in the 2010 Bloggies with her weblog Attack of the Redneck Mommy!

It was announced on twitter that I won a Bloggie for Best Canadian blog. A hockey gold and a Bloggie? I knew I should have bought a lotto ticket when I went to the store earlier in the day.

We are fairly gushing with pride over here.

THE REDNECK. MOMMY. WON. A BLOGGIE.

Head on over and congratulate her on her good news. She deserves it, even if she does have that weird Billy Ray Cyrus fetish. Rednecks.

Labels: miscellany

Karen Sugarpants and sam {temptingmama} author Craftastrophe, which has been nominated in both the Crafting and Group Weblog categories of the 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards.

Why blogging?

Because it pays so well. Hahaha..not. Blogging is part of who we both are now — we've both been blogging for forever and a day on our personal blogs, and this idea just made sense to blog when we started it.

What is the story behind the birth of Craftastrophe, and what keeps your inspiration going?

Craftastrophe began one night when we were on IM, "pouncing" on Etsy and discovering hilarious creations — some were well made but served no purpose, and some were just full of disaster win that we had to share them with the world. We were both laughing so hard, we couldn't help but start a website. Cake Wrecks was just becoming uber-popular and we knew we had a winner on our hands. As far as keeping inspiration going, that's easy. We both love to laugh. It doesn't feel like work. If life keeps us busy and we're unable to post, we don't sweat it. It's a fun hobby that pays well, that's all.

Are there any particular craftastrophes that continually haunt your memories?

Unicorn Porn, for sure. And Little Otik — I really want to rent the movie because it just looks so messed up.

Have there been any craftastrophes that you would not publish an entry about?

Yes — there is a crafter that emails us once a week to feature her work and it's really not that funny. The theme is something about Satan and it's just boring. As for nudity and NSFW stuff — we're just careful about what to show on the front page so our advertisers don't get their panties in a wad.

Craftastrophe has been featured in The Guardian and coined a new term in Urban Dictionary, among many other acknowledgments. Bloggers who achieve a certain internet celebrity status usually have an "aha" or "OMG" moment when they realize the extent of their reach and influence. Was this true with you and, if so, can you describe what that was like?

Winning Guilty Pleasure Blog 2009 at BlogHer alongside MamaPop was definitely one of those moments, as well as people freaking out when they met us in person — that was both uncomfortable and ego-lifting for a couple of shy Canadians. Oh and our first big ad cheques. We like money. And laughter. But mostly money.

What are your must-reads?

Lamebook, Not Always Right, and FourFour.

If you were to impart knowledge to an aspiring blogger, what would you tell them?

Find a niche that you enjoy. Have fun. Don't get too wrapped up in stats. Ask questions. Participate in your community. Don't be an asshole.

Labels: Crafting, Group Weblog, interviews