Time for the annual look back at what I've written here during the year that is almost at an end. I've been doing this recap since 2004, and it's always interesting to browse through my archives looking for articles that received many comments, were linked to a lot, or caused a bit of discussion. I always run into one or two that I had almost forgotten about.

This year I haven't posted quite as many articles as the previous couple of years. I simply haven't had the time to write. It is partly due to the size of my family being increased in June – having a baby to take care of consumes a lot of time and energy, though it's also a lot of fun. I have also been very busy building websites at my dayjob. So busy that when I get home I don't feel particularly excited about spending another couple of hours in front of the computer.

Anyway, I have managed to write a few articles that I think are worth reminding regular readers about and pointing new readers to. Not as many as some years, but enough to keep you occupied for a little while if you read them all, including the comments.

Thanks for reading, everybody! Here's the list:

• Learn JavaScript before tasting the library kool-aid: Learn how to code JavaScript instead of how to use library/framework X to create cool animations and other visual effects. Then evaluate whether you should use a library.
• Styling form controls with CSS, revisited: Screenshots from 8 browsers on 4 operating systems showing the effects of CSS applied to form controls.
• Poll: Do you maximise your browser window?: Looking for answers to three questions: 1. Do you maximise your browser window? 2. What is the resolution of your screen? 3. Which OS do you use?
• Lame excuses for not being a Web professional: Excuses that may be valid in some circumstances are too often used to cover up somebody’s lack of knowledge about modern Web design or development.
• Creating bulletproof graphic link buttons with CSS: How to use CSS and two images to create flexible, shrinkwrapping, image based link buttons.
• Are we designers or developers?: If you do not do graphic design, but work with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and accessibility, are you a designer or a developer?
• JavaScript interaction must be input device independent: Make your JavaScript device-independent and accessible to all by assigning user interaction event handlers such as onclick to links instead of non-keyboard focusable elements.
• 10 colour contrast checking tools to improve the accessibility of your design: A list of tools that help make your design readable to all users by checking if text has sufficient contrast against its background.
• How to create an unobtrusive print this page link with JavaScript: How to create an unobtrusive print this page link that does not confuse users whose browsers do not support JavaScript.
• Scrap text resize widgets and teach people how to resize text: Instead of wasting time and resources on building JavaScript widgets that resize the text on your site, teach people how to resize text in their browser.
• Autopopulating text input fields with JavaScript: When you cannot display a label for a text input field, use placeholder text in an unobtrusive way. This article explains how.
• Mac OS X Web browser rundown 2007: A rundown of the Mac OS X Web browsers that occupy space on my hard drive in late 2007.
• Keep browser lock-out a thing of the past: Browser sniffing and deliberately preventing people using a so-called unsupported browser from entering a site is a thing from the past that we do not need these days.
• Use the label element to make your HTML forms accessible: By using the label element to associate form controls with their label text, you improve the accessibility of HTML forms and make styling and scripting them easier.
• Choose an accessible image replacement method: When you have to use image replacement for text, choose a method that causes as few problems as possible for as few people as possible.
• Choosing a JavaScript framework: There is a large number of JavaScript libraries or frameworks available. But how do you choose which one to use?

And while you read those articles I'll be taking a couple of weeks off from working, blogging, and responding to email. Instead I will be spending some time with my family and my game consoles.

See you next year!

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Posted in Web General.