Gabston-Howell.org - About This Web Site

Coding

In terms of coding, this site is designed to be - at minimum - in compliance with W3C HTML 4.01 standards. As such, it will render correctly in an un-broken, standards-compliant browser. Allow me to recommend 'links', 'Lynx', 'Konqueror', 'Mozilla-Phoenix', 'Mozilla-Firebird', 'Mozilla-Firefox', 'Mozilla-Suite', 'Mozilla-SeaMonkey', or Opera (decent-enough, if not somewhat frayed about the edges); for your viewing convenience.

Almost any KHTML- or Gecko-based browser should suffice to view the content here. This would include, IIRC, Safari on the Mac. Trident-based browsers will probably fall-apart at some point; therefore, you would do well to avoid them at all costs (all versions of Internet Explorer, AOL-browser, MSN-broswer, etc.).

Image Format Choices

As an exception to the above, there will be - in the future - one area of this site that will not be viewable without a browser which competently renders the '.jng' image format. That area will be the Family Photos section. I am currently only aware of one browser supporting the '.jng' image format natively - that being Konqueror.

There may be plug-ins to allow the current Mozilla offerings to render images in the Family Photos section. If this is indeed the case, I cannot testify as to the quality of such plug-ins. I leave it to you to correctly accessorize and maintain your own browser.

Internet exploitEr

Some portions of this site simply will not render correctly with IE and its closest cousins. That's not my fault, and it's not the fault of the W3C. It's the sole fault of microsoft. I have taken the liberty of blocking access to certain areas of this web site via the 'worst of the worst' web browsers. For those who might be upset by this, take some good advice from somebody who actually knows more about web browsers than you do: Download and install any of the browsers identified in the first paragraph, above, and avoid microsoft browsers (if not all microsoft products) like the plague.

Audience

In general, as you can see below, our readership is reasonably global - as well as local to Los Angeles County:

This map only shows the general location of site visitors on a 12 month roll, beginning on 2006.06.12 (12 June, 2006) and, as you can see, while we do generate a bit of global interest, site visits from Los Angeles and Orange Counties tend to out number our other site visitors by a considerable margin.

We presume our audience to be literate, intelligent and well-read. (To treat you otherwise would constitute a high insult, indeed.) You will, therefore, find that we do not treat you as though you were in need of your next intellectual bottle feeding, burping and diaper change.

On the other hand, you will discover the odd-offering that is more granular in its presentation than is the norm for this space. It is there for a reason, and that reason isn't to insult you - as I'm certain you will easily be able to determine for yourself on a case-by-case basis.

General Content

We tend to focus upon Education, and Issues in Education; as well as delivering services to our local community.

The Point→N→Click→Help^® Files, Electronics and Computers navbar links are what constitute our efforts at educating the public or, at least, offering a helping hand in the pertinent areas.

The Education navbar link is our attempt to spread the word about the short comings of the local school districts - LBUSD in our neck of the woods - in California; as well as, herald alternatives to the sub-standard educational services delivered by same. Most people don't realize that they now have alternatives to their own local school district, and it's high-time that they know about them.

You'll be treated to an eye-full about the CAlifornia Virtual Academies; as well as our experiences with educating our three youngest children via their services; in this section of the web site. You'll hear/see the CAlifornia Virtual Academies referred to as both CAliVA and CAVA. Rest assured that the references are fully interchangable; yet, I do have a preference for the CAliVA shorthand reference. Before somebody chances to ask me why, let me simply say that it 'sounds better' to my ear.

You'll also be subjected to a bit of vitriol with respect to our local school district: Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD). This is because LBUSD does not serve all students equally. As resort community school districts often do, LBUSD exists to serve the selfish interests of the affluent population of Long Beach; while masquerading as an entity which prizes and promotes the delivery of educational services to all students, equally.

You are hearby warned: please brace yourself for said 'ickiness' as it's impossible to discuss a school district, such as LBUSD, without the residue of the repeated lies and betrayal of the public trust, that we've been subjected to over the years, leaking through here and there. If you are so-inclined, you may chalk-it-off to our being forced to deal with 'paper Ph.D.s', possessed of no more mental prowess (and far fewer ethics) than your average door stop.

As to Family Photos, alluded to above, you will find those under the 'About Us' navbar link - as soon as I get around to rebuilding, and adding to, the previous content.

'Rants' and 'WebLog' link to the same place. Content is being moved from backups to the new format, a bit at a time. If you lilke rants-n-such, have a read; or you can have a look at this: http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20060317044847293 (Please. Read it completely.) It's worth about a thousand-and-one rants.