Accessibility issues

Last November whilst listening to BBC Radio 4's In Touch (a programme broadcasting news, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted) I heard discussions about talking bank machines and accessible online games.

I wonder how accessible my blog is to the visually impaired?
How does it sound if using a screen reader?
I guess that the BBC News RSS feed might be an unwelcome and confusing addition if the blog was read out.  Should it be removed?  Given that the primary purpose of this particular blog is to engage with and reflect on my experiences with Web 2.0 technology, I conclude that the RSS feed can stay.  Lucky RSS feed!  :-)

Does my website meet the needs of those with dyslexia, autism etc?

The National Autistic Society website gives some ideas on how I can improve the blog. For example, trying to limit the number of navigation links in any section to seven avoids overwhelming someone with an autism spectrum disorder with information.

These are are just some of many challenging and interesting design issues I need to work on when constructing this blog!

Weekend fun!

Am writing this on Friday evening, so thought I'd lighten the tone of the blog with a few jokes:

A man walks into a library and asks for a book on tides.  The librarian says "I'm sorry sir, that's just gone out!"

How many librarians does it take to change a lightbulb?
Usually 645.5 but sometimes 808.882

I just found out we have a local library.  They kept that quiet.

Beginning RSS Feeds and Twitter

Have successfully signed up to the BBC News RSS feed as an experiment.  RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and will allow me to see when new content has been added. I can get the latest headlines in one place, as soon as they are published, without having to visit the BBC's website directly.

I thought of adding an aggregate feedreader to this blog sometime in the future.  Looking into Google Reader revealed that it would be retired on 1st July 2013.  An interesting discovery, and a reminder that technology is ever evolving.  Google has just acquired Wavii according to the BBC technology news of 28th April, but checking Wavii's website shows that they will not be continuing with their app either.  Looks like I will need to continue my research....

Have also signed up to Twitter, following CILIP and Bournemouth and Poole College Sports.
Twitter is a microblogging service. Users make short updates called Tweets. They are 140 characters or less. More about Twitter when I have investigated it further.....

What I hope to achieve

I am hoping to achieve a very simple, 'workman like' blog to give me experience of using this very useful Web 2.0 tool. 

A blog is a shortened form of the words "web log" - an online diary.
It is like a living organism that needs care and nurture if it is to survive, so I aim to post fairly regularly - at least weekly - to keep it alive!

First post

This is a first post on my new work blog!
Will it work?