Zepfanman.com (Stylesheets Off Version)

Next goal: friendly URLs

• '05Aug5 update: W3C tip link added.
• '05Jun14 update: Cruft-Free link added.
• '05May16 update: Zvon tool added.

I wish I had the know-how to redesign Zepfanman.com in one big shot, but I've still got a lot to learn before attempting that. The Z: Blog has been around for a little over a year, and I've definitely learned a lot about building accessible websites in that time. It's kind of funny that MT and Gallery, the tools that make blogging and posting pictures easier, are actually what make standardizing my site the hardest (especially Gallery). With all that said, my highest priority now is trying to make my internal links easy to remember and more permanent. Basically, this entails using Apache's mod_rewrite to remove file extensions (php, html, etc.) and create more descriptive URLs. I'll probably be updating this post with other random links related to advanced web design practices.

I had already begun compiling some links on the topic of URL rewriting, but this should be a more extensive list (in general to specific order).

• W3C redirect tips (05Feb).
• URL Rewriting Guide from apache.org, although written in 97Dec.
• Search Engine-Friendly URLs (01Aug) and mod_rewrite: A Beginner's Guide to URL Rewriting (02Oct) from SitePoint.com, always a good reference site.
• Search Engine Friendly URLs with mod_rewrite on the Apache Dev Shed site, short but practical. 03Apr7.
• Generating Simple URLs for Search Engines from SearchTools.com, 03Jul.
• Basics of search engine optimisation has a great overview of other general principles, including friendly URLs. 05Feb. Johansson's URL section of the famous Developing With Web Standards publication is also very useful.
• Google search for trailing slash.
• Movable Type file rewrite describes maintaining old entries' URLs. 03Mar.
• Cruft-Free, Future-Proof URLs from The Daily Dump. 05May.
• Designing URIs from allinthehead and mezzoblue's Rewrite! have some good early-2005 thoughts for me to ponder once I've figured out the basics.
• Gallery Discussion Forums search for mod_rewrite. It looks like my gallery sofware is making it easier to name URLs in its version 2 product.

General Website Tools

.HTACCESS files useful tips and tricks from GarnetChaney.com

SimpleQuiz

A year's series of quizzes to see how people set up their XHTML and CSS using logical symantecs

URLinfo beta

Fagan Finder has produced this incredible tool that lets you perform all sorts of searches and tools based on a web address that you enter into it.

Zvon Character Search

Tool for looking up HTML character codes [via Korpela]. Added '05May16

DNS Report

Basic but useful.

Xenu's Link Sleuth

Find broken links on websites. While I've heard that there are ways to do this with .htaccess, it looks like it could be a useful tool, although I haven't tried it.

Google Tutor

A new site with a wide range of ways to use Google to the best of its abilities.

Project: New

A new site for people just getting started with standards web design. I've found HTML Dog, HTMLSource, and SitePoint to be other helpful sites in this vein.

By rockofvictory | Tue 2005Apr19 13:51 CST | Links | Last edited Fri 2005Aug05 10:50 CST
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