news

WordPress Version 3.8 Released on 12 December 2013

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On December 12, 2013, WordPress Version 3.8, named for Charlie Parker, was released to the public. For more information on this enhancement and bug-fix release, read the WordPress Blog, the Release Post, and see the Changelog for 3.8.

For Version 3.8, the database version (db_version in wp_options) changed to 26691, and the Trac revision was r26861.

Highlights

  • Introduces a new, modern admin design
    • A fresh, uncluttered design
    • Clean typography with Open Sans
    • Superior contrast and large, comfortable type
    • Responsive interfaces throughout
    • Refined, theme management
    • Smoother, click-to-add widget management
  • New Default Theme – Twenty Fourteen
    • Easily create a responsive magazine website with a sleek, modern design.
    • Feature your favorite homepage content in either a grid or a slider.
    • Use the three widget areas to customize your website, and change your content’s layout with a full-width page template and a contributor page to show off your authors.
  • For Developers
    • External Libraries have been updated.
    • Better RTL support
    • Theme screenshots’ size have increased from 600 × 450 to 880 × 660.

What’s New

GENERAL

  • Replace PNG-based plugins ratings stars with Dashicons for performance gains
  • Improved help tab text in various screens
  • Clicking “Check Again” on the Updates screen now provides more immediate feedback

DASHBOARD

  • Consolidate several Dashboard widgets to improve readability
  • Replace the ‘Right Now’ widget with the new and improved ‘At a Glance’ widget

APPEARANCE

  • Introduce 8 new admin color schemes
  • Improved readability throughout using Open Sans typeface (where supported)
  • Responsive Toolbar for smaller-screen devices
  • Leverage Dashicons instead of icon sprites for crisper experience on all resolutions
  • Big RTL improvements throughout
  • Make the dashboard more usable on any size device with responsive all the things
  • Improve the login screen experience for Internet Explorer 8 users
  • Improve Quick Edit experience for non-English users
  • Improve the Menus experience for mobile users

THEMES

  • New Default Theme — Twenty Fourteen
  • Make it possible to check for any post format assigned to a post with has_post_format()
  • Better custom background theme support defaults, can now specify ‘default-repeat’, ‘default-position-x’, and ‘default-attachment’ arguments for background images.
  • Tags for width changed to layout: responsive-layout, fluid-layout, and fixed-layout
  • New tag: accessibility-ready to denote a theme is aware of accessibility best practices such as color contrast, keyboard navigation, and form/link focus. See WP theme accessibility guidelines.

WIDGETS

  • New click-to-add interface for adding widgets to sidebars
  • Improved interface for devices of all resolutions
  • Better drag-and-drop experience

ACCESSIBILITY

  • Make list table row actions keyboard accessible
  • Improve color contrast throughout the admin

MULTISITE

  • Improved performance when deleting users in Multisite

Under The Hood

GENERAL

  • Heartbeat performance and API improvements
  • A $taxonomy argument was added to each of the adjacent post functions.
  • Define $is_nginx in vars.php
  • Apply capital_P_dangit() to the wp_title filter
  • Make sure ajaxurl is defined in the Customizer
  • validate_active_plugins() now checks the manage_network_plugins capability instead of is_super_admin()
  • Add a show_metabox parameter to register_taxonomy()
  • Make it easier to target video shortcodes by adding a wp-video class to the parent container
  • Add CSSMin, SASS, CSSJanus, and jsHint to build tools for core development

BUG FIXES

  • Fix bug where top-level categories were only redirecting if they had no children
  • Fix bug in wp_get_object_terms() where returned were strings not integers
  • Fix a bug where passing a null value to meta_query resulted in wonkiness with the comparison operator
  • Fix “‘wp_signups’ already exists for query” error after updating a Multisite network
  • Fix bug in get_bookmarks() caused by missing parentheses
  • Fix comment_notification_recipients filter behavior so that it is still respected even on comments left by the post author
  • Fix a date comparison error in dashboard_relative_date()
  • Fix keyboard accessibility for row actions in list tables.
  • Fix no-js and accessibility modes in in the Widgets screen
  • Fix a bug where menus could still be assigned to a non-existent theme location
  • Silence jQuery Migrate errors in the General settings page

MULTISITE

CLASSES

FUNCTIONS

ACTIONS & FILTERS

Actions

Filters

EXTERNAL LIBRARIES

  • Add a copyright notice to zxcvbn (password strength meter) script

DEPRECATED

MISCELLANEOUS

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Job Listings

Job Opening: UIHC Seeks Creative Media Specialist and Content Writer

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The UI Health Care Web Center seeks a Web Editor (Creative Media Specialist) who will assist in creating and maintaining web pages for UI Health Care clients.

Duties include researching, writing and curating content appropriate for health care consumers, developing and managing digital assets and deploying them using a content management system, and editing content and code to achieve specific results.

The successful candidate must have a BA/BS in journalism, communications, mass media, or similar field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.; demonstrated experience (6 months to 1 year) of professional publishing experience for a consumer website; demonstrated proficiency with HTML and PhotoShop; demonstrated excellent written and verbal skills; Ability to write clearly and succinctly for the web using best practices; proven ability to manage multiple complex projects; superb collaborative, interpersonal, and teamwork skills.

In addition, desired qualifications include: an advanced degree in journalism or related field; familiarity with database management; graphic design skills; experience in health and wellness writing; training and certification in an enterprise-level content management system; planning, testing, and selecting appropriate applications for health care consumers; Experience creating integrated web content that promotes and sustains institutional business goals and experience in using social media in a marketing context.

Please apply using the Jobs@Iowa on-line application process. In addition to a cover letter and resume, candidates must submit URLs to two to three samples of their on-line publishing work along with an explanation of their role in publishing those sites.

The selection process will include a criminal background check on final candidates.

To apply, please visit: https://jobs.uiowa.edu/pands/view/63439

The University of Iowa is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer.

20110627mo-apple-icon-pencil-drafting-paper-tea-pot

advertising

Google AdWords Benefits and Failings

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20080723we-mountain-view-google-small-house-DSC07152Google AdWords is an advertising service that may be an effective choice in some circumstances. However, in many situations, it will be money wasted and the company using the service will actually end up worse of than had they not used the service at all.

The AdWords services will present one or a few ads at the top of Google search results. If you’ve been unable to naturally (“organically”) reach the top of search results, AdWords may be a short-term solution. However, it’s an expensive alternative to having a well designed website with rich and abundant quality content. With AdWords, one becomes reliant upon paid traffic instead of getting a natural flow of visitors to their website.

The way AdWords works is that you pay for having positioning at the top of search results for specific searches.

The most cleverly and effectively crafted AdWords campaign will be based upon an exceptional knowledge of what people might be searching for, and for that search, paying to be at the top of the page. However, a website properly designed can produce similar results.

Below is an example of how AdWords can work and also fail for certain advertising campaigns. In this example, some people have paid to have an ad placed at the top of the page when a search is conducted for “iowa city web design” (without quotes). One of the businesses that paid for AdWords is naturally in the #4 position anyway, so they have paid money for nothing. In addition, for advertising fees based on clicks, the business will actually pay for visitors coming to their site rather than getting free visits to the site. The #2 position was attained without any advertising.

Google AdWords Example

20130911we-iowa-city-web-deisgn

proposal request

New Company Seeks Website Designers for New Site

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Request for Proposals/Estimates

A new company is seeking a WEB site designer to develop a site for a new product. This site is for the Original Equipment Manufacturer (EOM which is the company). The site will be used for advertising the product and listing locations that sell the product (which will be in the range of 2-4 retailors).

The product sells itself on merits but needs to get exposure due to the unusual nature of the product. A Google ad purchase will help as will SEO work.

Thus, the main focus of the site is to present a product with a unique twist into a field with many existing sites offering traditional versions of the product. Once noticed, it sells on its own merits.

The site will rely heavily on photos of samples as well as a sample chart showing different coatings available. Good ability at photography of still objects is needed and must be figured in cost if the design company does not do that work. Most if not all of the photos will be of the product and not taken with an attractive but not elaborate (as in a home) background.

The site itself will have an opening introduction page with several photos, an “about us” page and two sections focusing on two aspects of the product. The presentation sections will be about two pages. Ability to have either a “moving picture grid” or a “zoom in” function will be required.

Links to two other internet pages on different sites will be needed. These links will be to subcontractor pages that make parts for the new product. This will allow direct viewing of different sizes/shapes of part of the product that is made by the subcontractor and offered by the OEM.

A “dealer login” page will be required. Dealer can look at stock or see new product versions as needed. Most communication beyond that will be done by phone or email since there will be very few retailors.

Domain name is owned. Development of an attractive script, font and layout is to be included in the estimated price — which can be an approximate price.

Ability to advance a site quickly is important. Quality is biggest factor by far.

Willing to take bids from one website development firm or a team project of collaborated efforts.

Contact. If interested or have questions, please contact Erling at 319-430-6730 or erling.eanderson@gmail.com

Uncategorized

WordPress Twenty Ten Theme – Adjust Space Above and Below Site Header

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When using the WordPress Twenty Ten theme (for those not hosted on WordPress.com), it is desirable to remove the site header text that displays the site title and tagline at the top of the page. This conserves space and allow for a more artistic presentation of the site.

After removing the header title and tagline, the gap at the top of the page will be noticeable. To save page space, it’s a good idea to reduce this margin of white space at the top of the page above the header. To balance the narrower top margin, a smaller margin below the header image and navigation menu is needed.

Follow these instructions to adjust the margin of space above and below the page header image. [More…]

Reference, web design guide

WordPress Twenty Ten Theme – Remove Site Header Text for Title and Tagline

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When using the WordPress Twenty Ten theme (for those not hosted on WordPress.com), it is desirable to remove the site header text that displays the site title and tagline at the top of the page. This conserves space and allow for a more artistic presentation of the site.

Using a child theme helps retain your modifications even after parent theme updates have been installed. However, some users may be reluctant to use child themes for just a few minor changes that are easily repeated later.

Here are the instructions for removing the site header title and tagline from WordPress Twenty Ten. [More…]

Uncategorized

University of Iowa – Language Media Center Website – Site Content Writer

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I first took on responsibility for the website of the Language Media Center (LMC) at the University of Iowa in 2001.

At that time, like most websites, site pages were designed with basic HTML using Dreamweaver and the site was mostly a static reference.

In 2011, the University of Iowa began the process of migrating all administrative and departmental websites over to a content management system (CMS). A few options were considered, but eventually Drupal was chosen as the platform to build upon. Enterprise-wide standardization of layout and design centralized and reduced the workload of those responsible for website management. This shift in focus resulted in more time and energy being spent on site content. [More…]

Website Review

BringTim.com Website Designed by Small Dot Studios and Inertia Unlimited

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Site Review by Greg Johnson

BringTim.com is a collaborative success made possible by the design geniuses at Small Dot Studios who teamed up with photography alchemist and web creation guru Bill Adams of Inertia Unlimited.

The site (shown below) is an excellent example of the synergy, creativity, and efficiency that can happen when design and development teams work together.

Below is a review of the site that explores the exceptional design characteristics as well as some areas that could be improved.

It’s well known that budget constraints and the desires of a client can influence the ultimate outcome of site design. So, suggestions for improvement are not a reflection of the designers, but simply a commentary about website design in general.

Click the site image below to visit now.

Graphics & Images. What strikes me immediately as I visit the site are the clean bold graphics. The main landing page is a critical part of any website. It’s like a resume. You really need to make a good first impression and convey the basic information people need to know. BringTim.com accomplishes this with elegant and professional graphics.

Navigation. Sites that overwhelm people with links, banners, and too many navigation options are likely to repel visitors rather than draw them in. An excellent design aspect of BringTim.com is that the top navigation bar is clean and simplistic — providing all that’s needed and nothing that isn’t.

Video. The video set to auto play is an effective way to engage site visitors immediately upon arrival, and it’s well done — which is essential. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million. Yet, some photos and videos just mumble and don’t communicate effectively.

Media. The list of media coverage for the product is amazing.

Possible Improvements. These are a few areas I noticed that could use improvement:

  • Layout. In an otherwise perfect site, I noticed that the text layout there’s an odd problem with the font layout for the heading “World’s First Meeting Cost Calculator & Clock” above the product to the left of the video. The text isn’t centered in the area above the product and it almost runs into the gray area above the video. On the Boss Gift page, this isn’t a problem. This really isn’t a usability issue, and most people would not even notice it as a design problem, but it caught my eye.
  • Purchase. It would be nice to have a simple embedded shopping cart option on the website. Instead, the “Buy it Now” link abruptly leaves the site and opens a product page at http://victorystore80.stores.yahoo and unfortunately that Yahoo store doesn’t have the same design elegance as the BringTim.com site. It would help if the store were designed a little better to match the site. Or, if the site visitor were clicking on a link that said, “Purchase from our merchant partner” or something like that.
    • Recommendation. I’d recommend selling the product through multiple online stores such as eBay, Amazon, and Yahoo’s main shopping portal. This will give the product more exposure and allow site visitors to purchase through their preferred store. For example, Amazon Prime members will likely want to purchase it from Amazon. Considering that the product has had some major national media exposure, it would really be worth it to style-up the selling process.
  • Contact. The Contact link brings up a cool window and shades the site. However, there’s a lot of information put in that small window, so scrolling is required. It seems a small pop-up window would be better reserved for times when you want to display a small amount of information. Also, missing is a feedback form. This could include a captcha verification process to help reduce spam.
    • Recommendation. I’d recommend simply using a web page as the contact page. Include the contact information as well as a feedback form. Many sites include essential contact information (like the phone number for ordering) prominently located in the  header of the site or right column area.
Construction, Iowa City Business

DPO Construction Website for Don Otto by Iowa City Web Design Artist Greg Johnson

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Most websites are created as a joint effort between the site designer and the client. Some clients simply say, “Make me a site” and give the designer full-reign over the language and graphics. However, it’s more typical for a client to have specific requests and requirements for the site design, especially when it comes to what’s written on the website and what photos are used. In making the DPO Construction website for Don Otto, the goal was convey and emphasize green and sustainable architecture and construction. I enjoyed working with Don because he was able to easily draw from his experience and knowledge of architectural beauty and function to assist in the process of building his website. It told me a lot about how he builds homes.

Click the website image below to visit the site.

ICWD News

Google Search Results Ranking for Iowa City Website Designers

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Great news! A few days ago, I wrote about an impossible SEO challenge…

On September 15, 2011, I’d created Iowa City Website Designers and didn’t develop the site beyond the initial default pages and “Hello World” post. My main goal was to reserve the domain name for later development.

As a result, the site became buried on page 9 (position #95) out of 51 million results on a search for the desired keywords (iowa city website designers).

So, this past week, I began a redesign of the site and started working on SEO (search engine optimization). Using my own proprietary and organic SEO promotion methods, a week later, the site is on page 2 (position #19) out of 59 million. The pages showing these results are below.

A a climb of 76 positions in the top 100 is a significant one, and that’s only one week into my promotion of the site — without really having invested much time.

My organic promotion methods are considered “white hat” and fully within the guidelines of all major search engine services, which means they won’t get a site black listed. I’m looking forward to seeing how well the site can perform in search results for other keywords. For now, I’m just working on the targeted keywords in the chosen market.

I’m planning to use the site to help showcase and promote the work of local web designers. If you’d like to be featured on the site, just let me know.

Greg Johnson, Website Alchemist

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Below are the Google search results from 8 February 2012.
(click to enlarge)

Below are the Google search results from 11 February 2012.
(click to enlarge)

Web Design and Development

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