W3C Compliance Experts in Here

DezUk

DezUk

DezUk

Associate
Joined
20 Sep 2003
Posts
2,384
Location
Scotland
Right at work I have been set the task of running some of the companies websites through the W3C compliance checker and ammending the code to make it work (lucky me). I have been asked to present the compliance checks on the sites in a formal reprot and have been assuered that some people do this for a living.

The problem I am having is figuring out the best way of presenting the data and was wondering if anyone in here has had to do a similar thing and how they went about it.
 
Seems like they are making work for you.

Just run them through the checker and print the info off - I don;t really see the point on you writing it all up again.

Also are you looking at a specific standard, as depending on what standard will depend on how much work is involved
 
DezUk said:
Right at work I have been set the task of running some of the companies websites through the W3C compliance checker and ammending the code to make it work (lucky me). I have been asked to present the compliance checks on the sites in a formal reprot and have been assuered that some people do this for a living.

The problem I am having is figuring out the best way of presenting the data and was wondering if anyone in here has had to do a similar thing and how they went about it.
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So they want you to write out what pages arnt compliant, what the issues are, resolve the issues and write how you resolved them for every webpage...

exciting..

I dont even do this at uni, we test as we develop for compliance, but doing all that work sounds ridiculous.. if i have the right end of the stick. Ultimately i would try and put it all in a table, either way your going to have a huge report i think.
 
DezUk said:
and have been assuered that some people do this for a living.
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People make livings doing all sorts of things, just because some people make their living doing something doesn't mean it's good or interesting.

Sounds like a manager has set the task "how compliant are we" without knowing what they're talking about (the best kind of manager).

I would run some sort of checker before any changes, count the number of issues. Then change the site so it's more compliant, but still looks ok, count the number of issues. Then change the site so it's completely compliant, looks pants. Ask them to choose.
 
Yea it is going to be a right pain to do. One way I was thinking of doing it was doing the report in webpage format and hosting it online. As for the error reports I was thinking of saving them as PDF's and linking to them in my online report for easy reference then just detailing the common errors and what my recommendations are for the ones I can't fix.

Doing it as a webpage would allow for easier managemnet of the layout and also allow for easy access for the relevant people.
 
Did you **** in the boss's coffee or something? I cant imagine anything more boring! We test a lot of our sites for compliancy against transitional and occasionally strict, but actually sorting it will take less time that writing it up! I just cant see a good reason to do it :/
 
Instead of documenting each and every issue, wouldn't it be more useful to report on the most common errors that appear on each and every page E.g. some sort of error relating to the page layout. I'm sure including all the saved error reports for each page would make for fruitful and interesting appendices reading :)

Sounds like a boring job tbh :)
 
Can you get the validator to output it's results in XML format? If so, you could get the validator output and then use something like XSLT to form a results document from the output. That way the whole task could possibly be automated.

You could even put all the results into a single XML document and then use XPath etc. to get stats, report on common problems etc.

Maybe more work, but at least it'd be more enjoyable.... I think?

Jim
 
DezUk said:
I have been set the task of running some of the companies websites through the W3C compliance checker and ammending the code to make it work
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It sounds as though the person responsible for giving you this job has little idea of what it is that is actually needed. Usually these jobs crop up when a director has picked up the 'accessibility' or 'validation' buzzword from someone and has had the fear of god put into them.

Websites need to be many things but ultimately, they need to work for the business and this translates to 'affecting the bottom line'.

Ask the following questions:


  • Is the website X/HTML valid?
    • If not, what is needed to comply?
  • Can the website evolve to a Strict Doctype?

    • If not, what is needed to comply?
  • Does the website pass primary accessibility guidelines?

    • If not, what is needed to comply?
  • Is the website usable and consistent?
  • Does the website effectively reach the market?
  • Are the websites objectives clearly identified?
  • Can we track referrals to conversions on the website?
Remember websites are useful in 4 key areas: administration, communication, sales and marketing. Does your website work seamlessly in these areas? Can more be done to allow the website to integrate more effectively to the back office.

All the above may seem overkill but a website should be all or nothing. Just saying 'yes, it validates HTML Transitional' achieves nothing from a business perspective and validation most certainly does not equate to accessibility / usability.

Go on, give your boss a treat. Shine like a star. You never know, you may get a reward. :D

DezUk said:
I have been asked to present the compliance checks on the sites in a formal reprot
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The best way to present this is with a synopsis that covers the point of the report, the above points listed, with very concise, highlighted answers and recommended actions, then apply the final technical notes to the end.

Usually reports such as these form part of a meeting and since time equals money, the boss will thank you for summarising the key points and actions. It's up to the solution providers to then dig through the technical notes and recommendations. Good luck.
 
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