CIW Community - Get caught in the Web!

Folks have been talking about the "digital divide" for some time, but now it seems that we've got some statistics about how social class factors in: Check it out: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/10/13/social.networking.class/index.html>/a>.

Saw the following article about trends in Web development and design:

http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2009/09/09/09readwriteweb-top-5-web-trends-of-2009-personalization-67911.html

So, how does your Web education program fit in? It sure does with CIW, as we've anticipated these trends all along.

-- Tangent

I've often used the analogy that most people over 30 have experienced effectively the "Model T" era of the Internet. At this point, we might be somewhere around the '39 Chevy version of the Internet. Things have evolved a bit since Windows 95 and Netscape's 1.0 browser; in the same way that '39 Chevy owners didn't have to crank-start their cars and had an optional automatic shift, we have the beginnings of the browser as a relatively smart application that can deliver some pretty interesting applications.

For those of you not in the know, Web Design from Scratch is a great little Web site that offers tons of tips, as well as nice Web site templates that you can use and customize to your heart's content:

http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com//blog/clicss-flexible-web-page-templates.php

Notice, also, that this site offers tips on various things, including:

• Writing quality Web copy
• How to design accessible pages
• Using CSS

Been poking around The Register for a few minutes today. The Register is the United Kingdom's most sardonic and entertaining IT news source. Heck, it's probably the most entertaining one out there, period.

Today, the Register had two ominous items, both of them showing how we've been targeted for mass market assimilation. Specifically, Google is tracking our click behavior, and ISPs worldwide are looking at tracking us. Oh, sorry - they're not looking to track us: Just our behavior. That's the future of the 'net, folks. Get used to it:

Interesting article on how DreamWeaver is dying - not because Adobe screwed up on their development in the same way that Microsoft did with Windows Vista, nor is it because the competition is getting so much better.

No, the following article argues that the nature of the Web has changed, and the Web environment no longer favors static pages. And DreamWeaver and all its competitors (hear that, Microsoft) are all now going the way of the Dodo. So at least the author says:

Hey, ever wonder what the latest word is in the browser wars? Ever wonder what tool to use when heading on over to use GoogleApps or check out something out on the cloud? Well, Paul Lilly has put together a nice little review of the major browsers out there:
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/browser_brouhaha_your_maximum_guide_browsers_today_and_tomorrow.

Enjoy!

For all the talk of "cloud computing" and "software as a Service (Sas)," aren't we really just talking "mainframe 2.0?" Don't get me wrong: I'm a huge fan of cloud computing. It's the future. Our revised CIW Foundations courses assume it as the current computing mode, netbooks and all. But those of us old enough to remember mainframes and terminals should feel better: Cloud computing is back to future, folks. It's a rose by any other name.

Yes, I know about CompTIA Security+, ISC2 CISSP, ISACA and all the usual suspects in security training. But when it comes right down to it, the industry really doesn't care about those certs once the training and hiring is over.

Yep, I'm serious. When was the last time any security professional - no matter what training background - heard the phrase "I need you to secure this network to ISC2/CompTIA standards."

We're upgrading the CIW Foundations courses, and as part of it we're looking into browser usage. Thought you'd like to see some of the things we've found, including the link below. One of the things you'll find is how Firefox has really caught up with Internet Explorer:

http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp.

Could it be that the IT departments around the world have finally lost their blind love for all things IE?