Recently in Writing Category

As a webmaster, especially if you are a solo webmaster, it's hard to keep all the moving parts of the web in your head at once, let alone the detailed syntax of every HTML attribute and configuration option. It's vital to have the right references at your fingertips to get those details fast. These are eight references every webmaster should have on their quick bookmarks list.

• HTML 4.01 Specification - Because the XHTML spec says "just like HTML 4 except..."
• XHTML 1.0 (Second Edition) - Describes the differences between HTML 4 and XHTML.
• Cascading Style Sheets, level 2 revision 1 - The CSS Specification.
• HTTP/1.1 (RFC2616) - The HTTP spec, useful as a quick reference to HTTP status codes and official headers.
• JavaScript - Mozilla Development Center - Probably the best one-stop for Javascript references, including the DOM and a collection of articles on AJAX and DHTML.
• MySQL 5.0 Reference Manual - If you are building server-side applications, chances are very good you are using MySQL, in which case you will refer to this often.
• Internet Explorer Developer Center - If you build web front-ends, you probably spend a huge chunk of your time tweaking around the differences in various browsers. Hopefully Microsoft's docs on IE can help smooth things out.
• Apache HTTP Server Documentaton - Because you need it.

• Web Professionals portfolio and profile - Professional On The Web A portfolio directory for web agencies and freelancers. Build your showcase of projects, add tags for searchability. Users can tag and rate them, too. Potential clients can find your profile with a simple search. (tags: webdesign Design portfolio community)
• Improving Your Process: Web Branding Style Guide This brief article is possibly one of the most brilliant I have read recently. Describes exactly why you want a style guide and what it should encompass. I can instantly see how this could have been useful in past projects. Quick read, highly recommended. (tags: webdev webdesign branding)
• Blog Law » 12 Important U.S. Laws Every Blogger Needs to Know The title says all you need to know. (tags: blogging law legal copyright)
• Keeping Jargon Where It Belongs Another useful tip on writing for the web: watch that jargon! (tags: writing usability)
• Magnetic Blogging: How to Use Metaphors to Create Irresistible Content | Copyblogger Brian Clark has written another inspirational article to help you (and me) get better at that putting-words-together thing we do. (tags: writing blogging)
• Higher-Order JavaScript by Sean M. Burke. A JavaScriptish companion to Mark-Jason Dominus's Higher-Order Perl (tags: javascript perl webdev programming)

It's ironic that the one activity that's done most by web masters is the most ignored: writing. There are a bazillion web sites out there (and, er, one in here too) that purport to tell you about the tech, the syntax, the semantic web and whatnot. There are very few that actually give you useful assistance in the art and craft of effective writing for the digital medium. A recent article over at A List Apart, Who needs headlines? reminded me of this fact. It also reminded me of a terrific resource that any web writer should check out.

Copyblogger is an endless stream of "copywriting tips for online marketing success", and while that may sound like hype, it really is the best site of its kind, at least that I have seen. Many thanks to Brian Clark for sharing his expertise with the world so generously. I'm ashamed to admit that I have not been following it as religiously as it deserves, but I hope I'll redeem myself by throwing some traffic in that direction. (Also, the Copyblogger theme for Wordpress deserves a look.)

Do you have some other resources on web writing? Post a comment, I'd love to hear about them!