Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (Full Version)

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Mike Cherim -> Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/1/2006 9:14:25)

If you're a WordPress user and looking for an accessible theme, I just released this 3-col tonight. It is highly configurable, and offers a lot of added functionality: secure contact form, stats, mods control, add-ons, alt style sheets, and decent support (the whole demo is dedicated to supporting the theme). The set-up is pretty simple, but one must read the instructions. It was a ton of work, but from an accessibility and usability stand-point, I hope I did pretty good. Tried to cover everything (except maybe Mac IE 5 still) while trying to keep a sense of design.

http://green-beast.com/seabeast/

What do you guys think?

Mike



Tailslide -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/1/2006 9:33:50)

It's very nice I like it. There's sooo many different bits and pieces to think of in a WP theme - it must have taken ages!

Although you know that people aren't going to listen about the liquid far column and complain about images (what will they do overflow?). Can you stick overflow hidden for images and the like in that column?

What's IE5 Mac? That's a figment of your imagination. Doesn't exist. [:D]



Mike Cherim -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/1/2006 9:44:42)

About 200 hours of work!

You're right about the column, but I had to advise anyway. I did apply overflow hidden, but since it's a liquid "FarBar" I can't spec a width so it won't really do anything. I *could* have spec'd min/max I suppose, but since the limitations are for IE 6, it'd be useless to do so since min/max mean nothing to it..

This theme is really focused on Gecko browsers and IE 7. For IE 6 I did the minimum needed to make it presentable and stable, but I employed more forward thinking than usual.

Mike

PS. Thanks for making me feel better about Mac IE lol.



Tailslide -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/1/2006 9:48:45)

I try to forget about it. I have a client currently that only uses IE5.2 and won't upgrade.

OT - have you got a visitor from over here staying with you over there currently?



Mike Cherim -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/1/2006 9:58:09)

Re the OT: Nope, he didn't come over yet. Not enough green to cross the blue if you follow me. Promised sometime this summer. I hope it happens as that would be v.cool.

Here's an OT for you: You're next up (know what I mean, right?), this Friday in fact... do make sure your ducks are in a row over there at the Little Blue Plane. We'll be over there this week because we are procrastators and are just getting to it. :D

Mike



Tailslide -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/1/2006 11:07:31)

Right. Scared now.



jaybee -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/1/2006 18:30:37)

You leave Helena's ducks alone you big bully! [:D]



Mike Cherim -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/1/2006 18:43:21)

Actually jaybee, Helena ask if me and some of the fellahs would come over and do a duck check so to speak so it's cool... lol

Coincidentally I'm at Little Blue Plane as I write this (huh?... well sort of). I happily report the ducks are so far in good order. :)

Mike

PS. This might make more sense tomorrow, hehe.



Mike Cherim -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/2/2006 11:26:09)

Well, if any of the "duck" references were a mystery (what the heck is Mike talking about you may have asked), this should answer everything and realize that on this forum you are now in the presence of greatness.

[url= http://accessites.org/gbcms_xml2/news_page.php?id=27]Helena and her Little Blue Plane rock![/url] :)

Congratz Helena!



Tailslide -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/2/2006 12:07:58)

[:)] Thank you! [:)]



jaybee -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/2/2006 12:55:49)

quote:

We found a little something that reduced its level of accessibility


Don't tell me! There was a chicken in amongst them there ducks! [:D]

Congrats Helena, if anyone deserves it then you do.

What's the prize money like then Green Beastie? Is she taking us all out for lunch? [;)]



Mike Cherim -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/2/2006 13:37:00)

Yep. She mentioned something about getting us all Little Blue Plane tee-shirts too :D



Tailslide -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/2/2006 14:14:57)

Oh you are soooo not funny.

I'll be happy to provide Little Blue Plane logos if anyone would like to download 'em and print up their own T-shirts though!



jaybee -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/2/2006 15:17:43)

Cheapskate. [:D]



Mike Cherim -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/2/2006 15:20:42)

Lol, no kidding. I want mine mailed to me. First class too ;)



Mike Cherim -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/5/2006 15:58:48)

I have released the next installment. In this version, 1.1, I have increased the default level of contrast of text content and link color based on feedback recieved. Thanks to every one who offered feedback.

To read the full extent of the changes made, or to get the upgrade or update files, please Review This Article.

Version 1.1 is available for download now at http://green-beast.com/seabeast/

Mike



jaybee -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/12/2006 6:00:22)

OK, Mr Greenbeastie Sir, here's your chance at a sales pitch.

I've just finished a site using Joomla. Got it set up with a totally tableless template. It validates XHTML and CSS and to 508. Core Joomla still has tables but version 1.1 or 5 or whatever is due out will apparently sort that out so the upgrade will give me a fully accessible site.

Had a few problems. The editor that comes with it, TinyMCE disappeared one of my pages completely, so I bought in a copy of WYSIWYGPro and that was fine until another page vanished. It may be something to do with the weird Apply and Save options in Joomla. Anyway, all done now.

Overall I've been pretty impressed with Joomla but there are a few niggles, one of which being the inflexibility of the user permissions. There aren't enough options so I can't for example say that my user can access this content but not that content, it's all or nothing. There's a component you can add to do it but reading the blurb it sounds a bit iffy.

I have 2 more sites to do along the same lines so why should I use Wordpress instead of Joomla?



Mike Cherim -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/12/2006 8:41:00)

quote:

ORIGINAL: jaybee

OK, Mr Greenbeastie Sir, here's your chance at a sales pitch.

I've just finished a site using Joomla. Got it set up with a totally tableless template. It validates XHTML and CSS and to 508. Core Joomla still has tables but version 1.1 or 5 or whatever is due out will apparently sort that out so the upgrade will give me a fully accessible site.

Had a few problems. The editor that comes with it, TinyMCE disappeared one of my pages completely, so I bought in a copy of WYSIWYGPro and that was fine until another page vanished. It may be something to do with the weird Apply and Save options in Joomla. Anyway, all done now.

Overall I've been pretty impressed with Joomla but there are a few niggles, one of which being the inflexibility of the user permissions. There aren't enough options so I can't for example say that my user can access this content but not that content, it's all or nothing. There's a component you can add to do it but reading the blurb it sounds a bit iffy.

I have 2 more sites to do along the same lines so why should I use Wordpress instead of Joomla?


I'd have to strongly consider it, Jaybee. It's pretty powerful, flexible, and produces quality mark-up as a general rule. The thing you have to be wary of is applying themes. Some aren't produced with a great deal of care and will output tables and all sorts of unnecessary, un-semantic mark-up. An option is to start with the Kubrick theme that comes with it, then style it to retain the good stuff. And a few themes, like the one I posted here and my other Beast-Blog theme are actually built with accessibility in mind as well as semantic mark-up.

I have my own CMS but I warn you it's not everyone's cup-of-tea. It appeals mostly to hand-coders I think. With that in mind it can be a very powerful and helpful tool.

Mike



jaybee -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/12/2006 9:42:22)

(puts diplomacy hat on and finds it doesn't fit too well these days)

Yes I checked out your CMS before and it looks great but a little basic, (don't mean that in a rude way) fine for many sites that I would do but these two want bells and whistles as they're for music magazines.

I don't have the luxury of time to do a lot of hand coding here, I have to have both done in 2 weeks, so I need plug-ins.

I've done the theme for Joomla so I could just go that route for these two as well and hack the theme about, but I don't know; I just have a slightly uneasy feeling, especially after the pages vanished. On the plus side I've already gone through the learning curve so I can whack these two together fairly fast.

I assumed as you'd done the theme you knew Wordpress pretty well so I guess what I'm asking is, how reliable is it and how flexible is it on the user permissions front?



Mike Cherim -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/12/2006 10:12:51)

quote:

ORIGINAL: jaybee

(puts diplomacy hat on and finds it doesn't fit too well these days)

Yes I checked out your CMS before and it looks great but a little basic, (don't mean that in a rude way) fine for many sites that I would do but these two want bells and whistles as they're for music magazines.

I don't have the luxury of time to do a lot of hand coding here, I have to have both done in 2 weeks, so I need plug-ins.

I've done the theme for Joomla so I could just go that route for these two as well and hack the theme about, but I don't know; I just have a slightly uneasy feeling, especially after the pages vanished. On the plus side I've already gone through the learning curve so I can whack these two together fairly fast.

I assumed as you'd done the theme you knew Wordpress pretty well so I guess what I'm asking is, how reliable is it and how flexible is it on the user permissions front?


Wordpress is very good on many levels and the learning curve isn't too bad.

I don't take offense to comments about my CMS. You see I made it for me ( I love it lol), then decided to share. It does have the same parsing engine -- namely the SmartyPants script -- used in WP. And mine has stats and a contact form not included with WP, but all that is avialable for WP as there are 100s of themes, widgets, and plugins.

Mike



jaybee -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/12/2006 13:50:24)

And share you shall but not on these sites. [;)]

Thanks for the info. I might just do a quick install and see how it goes.



Mike Cherim -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/12/2006 14:10:43)

Good luck.



Tailslide -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/12/2006 14:22:53)

I keep banging on about WP (you may have noticed) but it's really very impressive. It's pretty good as far as validity, semantics and accessibility goes (as Mike said - some themes are better than others) and there are a ridiculous amount of pluggins. I've done a couple of upgrades on the WP sites I manage and they were easy peasy - any changes to the layout were done in the themes themselves and so the updates never touch your changes.



jaybee -> RE: Accessible SeaBeast Theme for WordPress (6/12/2006 15:50:00)

Yes, my Joomla set up was the same and the pages, much to my stunned amazement actually validated XHTML and CSS. They don't pass Cynthia level 3 but they're not far off.

I've learned my lesson from phpBB about mucking around in the core so I made sure I stuck to the template folder which I've hacked to bits but, in theory, apart from one javascript file I've modded, the upgrade when it comes should just be a quick switch.

I am quite impressed with the range of templates for Wordpress though and I do have another small site I have to do for a guy on a quid pro quo so I may use it for that.



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