Yesterday I did something I don’t normally recommend- I downloaded a piece of Beta software and installed it. If you have been following things on this site, you know that the number one rule is to abandon Microsoft Internet Explorer for Firefox (the reasons are too many to list). And when the new version of Firefox reached Release Candidate phase- it was too tempting to pass-up for one HUGE reason: it adds a spell checker to writing blog posts in WordPress, yes, you read that right: a spelling checker!

That alone is worth all the headaches that normally come with Beta software. However, I immediately found out that it also disabled almost all my plugins- including the Sage RSS reader. I was in instant info-withdrawl, and started searching for another solution.

Alas, I wasn’t finding any that would install with this release (no matter what the documentation said: wizz wouldn’t install). Then I found the magic bullet: Nightly Tester Tools extension for Firefox which will allow you to overide the compatibility check that prevents your standard extensions from loading. Once installed, it will give you the option to install software that Firefox says is incompatible. It fixed both Sage and Autofill, two of my favorite extensions for Firefox.

I haven’t had time to check all the features of Firefox 2, but the spell check function alone, makes it a must have for any blogger using WordPress.

Mozilla Developer News » Blog Archive » Firefox 2 Release Candidate 1 is now available for download

Firefox 2 Release Candidate 1 (RC 1), the preview release of the next version of the Firefox browser, is now available for download. Web application developers, our testing community, and users who want to get a sneak peek at the next version of Firefox should download and install this release candidate. Please note that at this time, users should not expect all of their extensions, plugins and themes from previous versions of Firefox to work properly.The release notes have a detailed list of what’s new in Firefox 2 RC 1, including:

* A new theme that updates Firefox’s familiar interface
* Built in Phishing Protection
* Enhanced search engine management and search suggestions for Google, Yahoo! and Answers.com
* Improvements to tabbed browsing, including the ability to re-open recently closed tabs
* Firefox will resume from where you left off after a system crash or browser restart
* Better support for previewing and subscribing to Web feeds
* Inline spell checking in Web forms
* The ability to create bookmarks with “Live Titles” for Web sites that offer microsummaries
* New Add-ons manager that simplifies management of extensions and themes.
* Support for JavaScript 1.7
* Extended search plugin format
* Updates to the extension system to provide enhanced security and to allow for easier localization of extensions
* Support for client-side session and persistent storage
* Support for SVG text using svg:textPath
* New Windows installer based on Nullsoft Scriptable Install System

You can download Firefox 2 Release Candidate 1 for Windows, Mac OSX and Linux in more than 40 languages. We encourage our users to give us feedback on this release, either using this online form or by filing a bug (please read the bug filing instructions first, and check out the list of known issues.)

The Dayton Daily News has a front page story about the benefits of having a site that is accessible to the blind. While they mention Google- and their new push in favor of accessibility standards- the real reason is that the Google bot that indexs your site works just like a blind person- and can only navigate where it can follow the meta data and navigation.

The good news for Websitetology graduates- everything we teach you to do- builds accessible sites- that are optimized for the blind- and for Google.

Here is a link to the story- it’s so short- I’ve quoted the whole thing.
Blind users getting help to get on Internet

By Jim DeBrosse
Staff Writer

DAYTON | For most Web users, pop-up ads and layered graphics can be annoying. But for blind users, they are major roadblocks on the Internet highway.
But pressure from lawsuits and advocates for the visually impaired has resulted in Web pages that are easier for the blind to navigate using screen-reading equipment.Last month Google introduced a special search engine that ranks sites according to how accessible they are to the blind (labs.google.com/accessible/). Yahoo! also redid its home page within the past month with larger, simpler display options, and AOL will soon follow suit.

“More and more companies are going to have to address these issues, not only for the disabled population, but for the aging (baby boomers) who are going to be exerting pressure of their own to access all these technologies,” said Jesse Walker, a human factors research psychologist at the University of Dayton Research Institute.

Walker has been working with several corporations on building more accessible Web pages.

That’s something Nate Fernandes, 21, a senior at the University of Dayton, can appreciate. He uses a popular software program for the blind called JAWS (Java Access With Speech) that enables his computer to read the content on computer screens out loud.

But some items, like PDF files, are often difficult for his equipment to read.

If you want to read more about why and how the Google accessible search works- here is their FAQ:http://labs.google.com/accessible/faq.html

I tried to find information on Jesse Walker, and UDRI in general, but, unfortunately, their site isn’t updated with his info.

If you want a site that works for the blind and for you- come to a Websitetology seminar.

SEMINARS ON NEXT GENERATION WEB SITES
Blogosopher changes name to Websitetology.

Dayton, OH August 21st 2006 There are only three ways that customers find your business website, search, links and advertising. Unless you are spending millions on advertising and people just know your URL, like Sony, Burger King or Chevrolet, they probably are coming to your site through search engines.
An entire industry of “Search Engine Optimization” (SEO) consultants has sprouted up, charging hundreds to thousands of dollars to get your site to be on the front page of Google, yet Google re-writes the rules every so often, just to make sure they don’t get “gamed.”
Another option is to pay Google to get listed as a “Sponsored Link” appearing at the top or the right hand side of search results. Studies have shown that 70% of people skip these paid placements- unless they just can’t find what they want in the normal “organic” results.
When clients of Dayton ad agency, The Next Wave, started asking how to get their site to show up in Google, agency Chief Creative Officer, David Esrati began researching how to get their own site onto the elusive “first page.” The answer turned out to not be what the “SEO” consultants were doing, but actually a new business model based on principles of what is commonly known as Web 2.0- or true interactive sites where your customers can be a part of your brand experience online. The common implementation is know as a “blog” (weB LOG) but is really a sophisticated content management system that makes building and maintaining a web site simple.
After spending considerable time explaining the technology to clients one-on-one, the agency launched a 3.5 hour seminar called “Blogosopher” to share this sophisticated yet simple solution for websites that work for business. Eight months after beginning the seminar- it became clear that business people were wary of the word “Blog” so the seminars have been rebranded “Websitetology.” The Intro seminar begins with how the web and search work, and how it is changing business- moving into an introduction of the free Open Source software “WordPress” which works to manage the site. The Advanced seminar is how to get the most out of WordPress and build content that gets the results you need.
Since implementing this solution on The Next Wave site, they have moved to the front page of Google for multiple search terms and seen a ten fold increase in unique visitors to the site in a slightly over a year.
Another benefit of using these tools to manage the site is that site maintenance costs have dropped to almost nothing, with no HTML code knowledge required. Sites that the agency used to have to charge thousands for, are now possible for under $400 including the cost of the seminar and hosting.
The next seminars will be held Aug 21, 2006 at Nehemiah University, 750 S. Main Street, Dayton 45402 from 8:30 am until noon and 1:30 pm to 5 pm. Cost is $49 for each seminar, or $79 for both. More information at www.websitetology.com or by calling 937.228.4433 Advance reservations are strongly encouraged.