creation of Lotus Web Media this website is developed for strategic content presentation with a refined branded appearance, while keen attention is provided to enrich Public Access for the disabled. The site architecture is optimized for high traffic volume and top search engine visibility. The site design is structured to accomodate periodic change and to deliver its service with simplicity and clean performance.
This website is ahead of the curve. Its unique elastic suspension design of fixed and liquid components adjusts to various monitor sizes and web browser types, while the underlying digital language complies with the W3C for web validation standards and Public Access.
According to the W3C Consortium and the Web Standards Project WaSP a group of independent web design leaders, the vanguard for web standards 99% of all websites are obsolete the moment they are launched. These pioneers proclaim that if browser manufacturers, web page designers, and applicaton software developers all present their work through the recommended W3C standard nomenclature of XHTML, CSS & DOM, web surfers around the world would be better served.
Wherever possible we have, therefore, chosen to render the best standards-compliant web based practices in the development of this site. This includes the use of at least XHTML 1.0 to structure the web page and CSS2 cascading style sheets to present the content. DOM or document object model is introduced as a W3C standards-based programming technique that initiates dynamic changes to designated web page content. This is Next Generation web design - where the choise of XHTML and CSS is forward-compatible with future browser development.
Together, the W3C recommendations are powerful web design tools that eliminate the often opposing influences of proprietary browser design, application software, and web page markup.
esigned entirely with Cascading Style Sheets CSS and XHTML the core of this website was constructed by hand without relying on the traditional intricate maze of nested table cells, proprietary page markup, and unnecessarily complex non standards-compliant web page design software. Rather, the site design was rendered by floating content layers as absolute positions aligned with negative margins and powered by DOM driven content presentation.
The digital page weight is generally 30% of that produced by traditional design techniques, resulting in faster web page loading and efficient search engine indexing. Moreover, reduced page weight offers a substantial bonus - a noticeable reduction of server transfer expenses for high volume traffic.
Cascading Style Sheets have enabled new content to be easily introduced, and design updates to be accomplished across the website in short order from a single file. Site development is therefore poised for reduced costs. Cascading style sheets have also provided a simple method for users to select an alternative presentation or design element. Moreover, CSS has substantially enabled Philadelphia Luxury Homes to comply with W3C WCAG and Section 508 federal guidelines promoting web access for the disabled.
The site architecture is organized into functional modules that are governed by global design preferences, the content, and the strategic interests of the client. Each module is structured in XHTML as a web page global template. The presentation of each template is organized into three fundamental CSS files: one for Positioning, one for Typography, and one for Navigation. Each CSS template style is imported into the individual CSS file of each web page. Local supplements to the basic structure and the coded presentation of content are provided as embeded CSS styles. Finially, inline CSS styles provide precise local control of content presentation wherever necessary on each web page. This type of behind the scenes website architecture provides design continuity with a branded appearance, and it is crucial to efficient site operation.
The designer has emphasized that no spacer nor hairline layout images are used to achieve webpage structure, noticeably reducing unnecessary server hit load, while enabling a better read by the visually impared using the site with a screen reader or aural assisted technology.
Page heavy javascript, bloated DHTML menus, and applet rollover naviagtion have been replaced by delightful, pure CSS rollover menus. In addition to being crisp and responsive, CSS menus insure that the site is effectively indexed by search engine spiders because they are structured in XHTML.
Disjointed rollovers as comment and image popups are elegant, code sleak CSS - employing absolute positioning. Rollover image changes have been achieved with DOM. Moreover, Dynamic webpage content presentation has been achieved by toggling with DOM.
Drop caps are rendered in CSS as reversed out floated text - adjusting the overall appearance with padding, margin, border settings and background images.
Public Access has been strategically accomplished with accessible Header images, Title and Alt tags, AccessKey assignments, AddressBar shortcuts, and alternative content to rich media. Furthermore, an alternative CSS style has been offered to introduced large fonts or sharper contrast for easy reading. The CSS style switcher performs across various browsers and remembers the users preferences. We have also introduced an option to modify the presentation with an individual style sheet that can directly link to our body id="philadelphia-luxury-homes" tag. Where rich media such as FLASH is employed to present vital content material, we have provided an alternative image or text information as a Pullquote. We have observed that when XHTML and CSS are thoughtfully implemented to serve the needs of website visitors, using W3C standard-compliant browsers, the website is in natural compliance with Section 508 Access for the disabled.
Printer friendly formatting of web pages on this site is achieved wherever necessary with CSS - enabling the clean, straight-forward presentation of vital graphic and text information without including unnecessary web page formatting. Printing of selected pages has been disabled with CSS.
The website has been optimized for rapid downloading on a 56 Kbps modem. On the server side - the site is running content encoding compression with mod_gzip to conserve bandwidth and accelerate web page content delivery to the client. The substantial bandwidth savings also reduces TCP/IP server demand - speeding web page delivery to client. We have changed the directory index on selected server files to enhance search engine visibility and to serve meaningful urls to the site visitor. The site also utilizes abbreviated urls as assigned hyperlink redirects using a Custom Error Page Perl script to reduce url bandwidth and measurable page weight. Abbreviated or virtual urls have also been assigned to lenthy urls or dynamic query strings to selected external hyperlinks. We do this both to enhanced search engine visibility and to obtain valid xhtml markup. On the page side - design attention is given to short urls coded to enhance search engine visibility. We also carefully evaluate total page weight, the size of image, script, and CSS files, and design approaches that reduce the quantity of external objects that trigger server hit requests.
Moreover, directory structure, SSI server includes, imported CSS templates, and the architectural layering of content delivery from the server to the web page, and the strategic layering of presentation, each contribute to web page download response times and crisp display.
We use Apache mod_rewrite to block bandwidth leakage from hot linked images and to protect copyrighted graphic material. We also employ mod_rewrite via .htaccess to redirect selected urls and to deliver time dependent alternate content to selected web pages throughout the day. Moreover, to manage continuously changing web page content we use mod_rewrite first to organize a searchable archive, then to sort static web page urls. This technique delivers the added benefit of maintaining search engine visibility and reduced link rot of archived site content.
Detailed website traffic statistics are compiled from Server Log files. Supplemental website traffic data is provided by custom CGI Perl script applications. Moreover, web server communication, custom error pages, addressbar shortcuts, site integration of structural XHTML as web page templates, or rotating page content as SSI Server-Side Includes, or extended XSSI files - are implemented either directly from the server or with the assistance of CGI Perl scripts.
Finially, Philadelphia Luxury Homes also enjoys the use of PHP - Hypertext Preprocessor - server-side scripting for supplementing Web page content with dynamic information and for controlling page behaviors. We also use PHP to present featured Client Service applications and for carrying out various Web site management interests. In most cases, site data is handled through simple flat text files, yet we periodically use MySQL Structured Query Language databases to integrate the site visitor with information contained in related tables stored on the web server. As a powerful, open source script - performing all of its tasks on the server side of the web page, without increading the response time to the site visitor - PHP is our preferred choice to manage dynamic site information.
This sight is rendered well with IE Internet Explorer 6.0, FireFox, Mozilla, and Netscape on PC platforms. The site also reads substantially as intended with Konqueror and Firefox on Linux operating systems and substantially correct with FireFox and Netscape on MAC operatings systems.
Enjoy the view.
Respectfully,
D.C.Balducci - Site Architect
Lotus Web Media
rrata :: Caveat On Apple WebKit and MAC Operating Stystems
Each and all of our web pages have been validated by the W3C as Standards Compliant code. We use no proprietary markup nor foreign programming methodologies in our presentation.
We regret any inconvenience to site visitors who experience obstacles accessing our Web pages regardless of their Web browser or operating system equipment. Because selected Web browsers fail to fully implement cross platform standards compliant CSS technology, as recommended by the W3C, some visitors can not effectively access our site content and presentation. Furthermore, unusual browser bugs which fail to implement CSS properly have been reported on MAC operating systems.
MAC users browsing with Netscape 7.02 or Mozilla FireFox browsers will be able to view our site nearly as we intended.
However, some MAC visitors will find that Internet Explorer 5.2 or Apple Safari 1.2 web browsers do not effectively render our CSS based site presentation. For example, equipment like MAC OS MSIE 5.2 or MAC AppleWebKit/124 (KHTML, like Gecko) Safari/1.2 will experience difficulty accessing our web pages.
Microsoft has discontinued the development of the Internet Explorer browser on MAC platforms. We are investigating when Apple Safari will support CSS Absolute Positioning in future browser upgrades.
We will also evaluate Apple's iCab browser, Mozilla's cutting-edge Gecko powered Camino for MAC users and Norway's Opera 6.03 MAC version for their effectiveness in implementing our CSS based absolute position site presentation.
We regret this problem and we will seek to remedy this shortcoming or provide a workaraound.
We appreciate any feedback from site visitors in general. We particularly welcome insight and advise that addresses how we can improve our presentation to MAC visitors using IE or AppleWebKit Safari browsers. Moreover, we sincerely appreciate thoughful feedback from visitors using Lynx Screen Readers, or other browsing equipment used by the visually or physically disabled.
Yours truly,
D.C.Balducci - Site Architect
Lotus Web Media
Standards: CSS 2.0 XHTML 1.1 DOM 2.0 508 Access DeskTop: Gateway PC 2,200 GiGHz Pentium IV, 80 GIG HD, 512 MB RAM, Windows XP Professional OS 17" FlatScreen Monitor Maxtor 3000 - 40 GIG External Storage Cable Access Epson - Image Scanner Software: NoteTabPro: CSS Styles & XHTML Page Design TopStyle: CSS Style & XHTML Editor with Validator Macromedia Fireworks: Image Editing with Eye Candy Adobe Photoshop :: Adobe Illustrator Flash Rich Media Rhino 3D CGI Scripts: Perl 5.1 :: William Bontrager Cute FTPPro: Ftp Web Protocols & CGI CHOMOD Settings Adobe Acrobate PDF Server: Apache 1.3.29 Unix Web Server Dual Intel Xeon 2.4 GHz Processor 1+ GB RAM - Running Linux RedHat 9.0 Operating System Mod_Gzip Page Content Compression Acceleration Module Perl 5.8.1 :: PHP 4.3.3 :: MySQL 4.0.15 Standard 80 GB primary drive :: 120 GB backup drive Daily on-server and off-server backups
Eric is an internationally recognized expert on the subjects of HTML and CSS. Undoubdetly the most renowned CSS authority worldwide, he has been affectionately called both a Techno Fascist, and an Industry Pioneer.
Eric is the author of Eric Meyer on CSS, Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, and Cascading Style Sheets 2.0: Programmer's Reference. Eric also moderates - css-discuss - the foremost CSS forum for web designers, and he is the principal consultant to Complex Spiral. Their chief aim is to help clients 'improve the bottom line through the use of web standards'.
A designer and web standards authority, Jeffrey is the author of Designing With Web Standards.
Jeffrey founded Zeldman.Com his personal website offering the Daily Report an online periodical which features cutting-edge web design news. Jeffrey is also a co-founder of the Web Standards Project. Moreover, he co-founded and continues to publish the highly regarded independent online magazine A List Apart, a non-profit information source for 'for people who make websites'. Finially, Jeffrey operates Happy Cog, a web site design firm located in New York City.
We pause to offer sincere appreciation to several web designers whose professional work is pivotal to web evolution, and instrumental to the development of this website.
The pioneering efforts of Eric Meyer and Jeffrey Zeldman in their sustained dedication to illuminate the strengths of CSS XHTML DOM and Public Access are saluted here for their professionalism in moving standard-compliant web design to the forefront in the 21st century.
Their unparalled efforts are a catalyst to the transformation of this nascent industry. Moreover, their shared vision has focused a clear direction for website designers and web developers everywhere.
We get it! Thank you.
With Gratitude,
D.C.Balducci - Lotus Web Media
Employing Next Generation design methods we develop website presentations that fit the professional needs of each client and validate to comply with W3C World Wide Web Consortium standards for web development.
We enjoy a no-nonsense client privacy & confidentiality policy. We do not share your personal information with other business concerns What-so-ever!
Please feel free to contact us with your comments and interests.
Yours truly - Lotus Web Media :: Voice Mail & Fax :: 215.689.3676
