#latest web technology update | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

alitheakorogane · 2 years

Text

Corrupted Game!SAGAU, but loosely based on Wreck-It Ralph...

Link of my concept of the Corrupted Game!SAGAU (Imposter AU): here.

Never thought that my concept of SAGAU can be similar to Wreck-It Ralph's, especially with the story of Vanellope Von Schweetz, the main female character of the movie...

I forgot that she is also a video game character who had a similar fate to the Reader/Player/Divine Creator in SAGAU fics: an outcast who was hunted by every single character just because they're special and in the playable characters' words, "an anomaly to the game that deserves to be executed/deleted"...but found out that they are actually prominent characters to their respective worlds.

I love the movie, and I will be adding some conceptual SAGAU ideas also inspired by the film.

The concept is still a regular Imposter!AU but with some touches that I have discussed in my last SAGAU posts (link is shown above).

The developers of Genshin Impact intended to introduce AI for the developers' incoming virtual reality project, and the latest updates are more like the beta test for that project. (Based on Hoyoverse's actual plan is to create a virtual world by 2030, with Genshin Impact as the "prototype".)

The AI was designed to create the characters, whether playable or non-playable, very interactive in the digital world. The technology allows for the characters to gain 'sentience', to allow them to talk and interact with the players without any difficulty.

Unfortunately, because it was slightly unfinished, the code was vulnerable to hacks and computer bugs that could possibly attack the code, and eventually, the game installed by the player.

The hacker, who is also a Genshin player, eventually finds out about it and made a computer bug to try how it will affect the game and warn others about the danger it causes. Then they posted it on some shady website under the guise of a private server or something....and the unlucky player takes the bait (when I thought about the idea, a similar creepypasta had been trending in Tiktok at the same time: a Russian player encountering the Faceless Ayato because they downloaded a questionable copy of the game from a shady website.)

The characters (Vessels), the lore... it all changed and twisted to something different when the AI was attacked by the virus. The characters were now sentient, but the virus had made their personalities deviate from their actual personalities in the original lore, and the AI added one thing to the now-changed lore: the existence of the "Creator", the Almother of Celestia and Teyvat who made the fantasy world by the flick of their hand.

The virus, now knowing the existence of the Creator, created an Imposter who acts, looks, and sounds like the player, taken from the files and sensitive private information saved in their computer. Just like real-life malware does: stealing your identity online... intending to infect the game and the computer, and finally sending the infected codes at a fixed time, this time on World Wide Web.

Since they are now sentient, the AI can recognize the virus now spreading on the game, and release their last resort to combat the imposter and the virus itself: bringing the real Creator to Teyvat by any means. The golden blood now rushing in the player's veins acts like an identity of the real Creator.

The 'Creator' (or the actual Imposter), now sensing the player's presence, had decided to prevent the player from destroying the 'Creator' and the virus itself.

Fortunately for them, they had the ability to access the game codes by accessing a certain backdoor, so they hacked the coding of the game to lock all memories of the player's previous status and eventually replace the player with the Imposter in the Teyvatians' memories, therefore, branding the player as an Imposter instead of the actual one.

They also made nearly all Teyvatians submissive to them by changing and corrupting their codes and game files, overriding their actual in-game personalities with obsessive adoration for the 'Divine Creator', therefore creating a cult. This way, they could leave the 'Divine Creator' Imposter to take full control of the game without anyone standing in their way.

Unfortunately for the 'Almother' Imposter, not everyone was affected by the reformatting of the memories. Some Chosen Vessels, the inhuman Weekly Bosses, gods (like Osial), the Abyss Order, and the Twins (Lumine and Aether) can still recognize the real Creator's aura due to the AI's influence, which now resided as the Irminsul. That means Lesser Lord Kusanali, out of all the Archons, knows who is the real Creator immediately due to her connection to the Tree.

The Abyss Order doesn't like the Divine Creator much because to them, they were MIA when Khaenri'ah was destroyed 500 years ago. But they had thoughts to help the player in their journey, maybe because they may be the key to the re-establishment of Khaenri'ah and the permanent removal of their curse...or they were now hunted by the Archons, the ones they hated the most. Well, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, they say.

Now they are now seen as the Supreme Almother and Creator of Celestia and the Seven Nations. Compared to the records and tombs depicting the Creator, they act in a very cruel manner to their subjects, but the Teyvatians, especially their acolytes, still loved them blindly (mainly due to the reformatted memories).

In order to keep the Imposter/player (actual Divine Creator) from ruining their plans of ruling Teyvat and infecting the game, the now Almother of Teyvat immediately takes action by forcing their Acolytes to get rid of them, dead or alive. They then create a set of harsh rules to which everyone, including the Archons, in the land of Teyvat takes heed.

The Withering appears once again since the parts of the Irminsul were corrupted again, this time by the computer malware. Since the AI now resides within the Irminsul (as a temporary measure) and the malware had slowly attacked the vulnerable part of the codes that make up the AI, corrupted parts in the form of the Withering appear on the Tree once again, possibly forming into Marana if untreated.

The Traveler and their Abyss Twin cross paths with the player every now and then, with different purposes. Since they are technically Outsiders/Descenders, they never really knew who the Almother of Teyvat is (and they are technically the MCs of Genshin Impact which happens to have more codes and files encoded on them because of them resonating with different elements, therefore randomized kits in their builds, which the virus had difficulty to replace).

The Traveler just seeks the player out to seek answers about their sibling and the truth of the world. The Abyss Twin seeks the player out to seek answers about the key to revive Khaenri'ah or to convince the player to join their cause. Because having the Creator on your side increases your chance of a successful plan against every single pathetic creature on Teyvat.

All the player had to do is to seek the Irminsul in Sumeru, as the AI knew about the total antivirus cure and a reset button to all of this. The virus' creation never knew that there is actually a way to combat the oncoming infection of the game.

All the player had to do is to avoid the corrupted Acolytes and the Abyss Order's plans, seek the Irminsul for answers and find the 'reset' mode of the game to reverse every single damage the virus' nefariously did that had made it to the game. And to stay alive and sane in all of this shit.

More to add on later reblogs, whenever another idea pops up for this concept!!

290 notes · View notes

jlmahmud · 8 months

Text

Today, we are announcing Copilot, our vision for an everyday AI companion for you. by - Satya Nadella (CEO of Microsoft)

We are entering a new era of AI, one that is fundamentally changing how we relate to and benefit from technology. With the convergence of chat interfaces and large language models you can now ask for what you want in natural language and the technology is smart enough to answer, create it or take action. At Microsoft, we think about this as having a copilot to help navigate any task. We have been building AI-powered copilots into our most used and loved products – making coding more efficient with GitHub, transforming productivity at work with Microsoft 365, redefining search with Bing and Edge and delivering contextual value that works across your apps and PC with Windows.

Today we take the next step to unify these capabilities into a single experience we call Microsoft Copilot, your everyday AI companion. Copilot will uniquely incorporate the context and intelligence of the web, your work data and what you are doing in the moment on your PC to provide better assistance – with your privacy and security at the forefront. It will be a simple and seamless experience, available in Windows 11, Microsoft 365, and in our web browser with Edge and Bing. It will work as an app or reveal itself when you need it with a right click. We will continue to add capabilities and connections to Copilot across to our most-used applications over time in service of our vision to have one experience that works across your whole life.

Copilot will begin to roll out in its early form as part of our free update to Windows 11, starting Sept. 26 — and across Bing, Edge, and Microsoft 365 Copilot this fall. We’re also announcing some exciting new experiences and devices to help you be more productive, spark your creativity, and to meet the everyday needs of people and businesses.

With over 150 new features, the next Windows 11 update is one of our most ambitious yet, bringing the power of Copilot and new AI powered experiences to apps like Paint, Photos, Clipchamp and more right to your Windows PC.

Bing will add support for the latest DALL.E 3 model from OpenAI and deliver more personalized answers based on your search history, a new AI-powered shopping experience, and updates to Bing Chat Enterprise, making it more mobile and visual.

Microsoft 365 Copilot will be generally available for enterprise customers on Nov. 1, 2023, along with Microsoft 365 Chat, a new AI assistant that will completely transform the way you work.

Additionally, we introduced powerful new Surface devices that bring all these AI experiences to life for you, and they are available for pre-order beginning today.

#ai #microsoft #copilot #windows #windows 10 #windows 11

22 notes · View notes

esoxy · 9 months

Text

So let's get into the nitty-gritty technical details behind my latest project, the National Blue Trail round-trip search application available here:

This project has been fun with me learning a lot about plenty of technologies, including QGis, PostGIS, pgRouting, GTFS files, OpenLayers, OpenTripPlanner and Vita.

So let's start!

In most of my previous GIS projects I have always used custom made tools written in ruby or Javascript and never really tried any of the "proper" GIS tools, so it was a good opportunity for me to learn a bit of QGIS. I hoped I could do most of the work there, but soon realized it's not fully up to the job, so I had to extend the bits to other tools at the end. For most purposes I used QGis to import data from various sources, and export the results to PostGIS, then do the calculations in PostGIS, re-import the results from there and save them into GeoJSON. For this workflow QGIS was pretty okay to use. I also managed to use it for some minor editing as well.

I did really hope I could avoid PostGIS, and do all of the calculation inside QGIS, but its routing engine is both slow, and simply not designed for multiple uses. For example after importing the map of Hungary and trying to find a single route between two points it took around 10-15 minutes just to build the routing map, then a couple seconds to calculate the actual route. There is no way to save the routing map (at least I didn't find any that did not involve coding in Python), so if you want to calculate the routes again you had to wait the 10-15 minute of tree building once more. Since I had to calculate around 20.000 of routes at least, I quickly realized this will simply never work out.

I did find the QNEAT3 plugin which did allow one to do a N-M search of routes between two set of points, but it was both too slow and very disk space intense. It also calculated many more routes than needed, as you couldn't add a filter. In the end it took 23 hours for it to calculate the routes AND it created a temporary file of more than 300Gb in the process. After realizing I made a mistake in the input files I quickly realized I won't wait this time again and started looking at PostGIS + pgRouting instead.

Before we move over to them two very important lessons I learned in QGIS:

There is no auto-save. If you forget to save and then 2 hours later QGIS crashes for no reason then you have to restart your work

Any layer that is in editing mode is not getting saved when you press the save button. So even if you don't forget to save by pressing CTRL/CMD+S every 5 seconds like every sane person who used Adobe products ever in their lifetimes does, you will still lose your work two hours later when QGIS finally crashes if you did not exit the editing mode for all of the layers

----

So let's move on to PostGIS.

It's been a while since I last used PostGIS - it was around 11 years ago for a web based object tracking project - but it was fairly easy to get it going. Importing data from QGIS (more specifically pushing data from QGIS to PostGIS) was pretty convenient, so I could fill up the tables with the relevant points and lines quite easily. The only hard part was getting pgRouting working, mostly because there aren't any good tutorials on how to import OpenStreetMap data into it. I did find a blog post that used a freeware (not open source) tool to do this, and another project that seems dead (last update was 2 years ago) but at least it was open source, and actually worked well. You can find the scripts I used on the GitHub page's README.

Using pgRouting was okay - documentation is a bit hard to read as it's more of a specification, but I did find the relevant examples useful. It also supports both A* search (which is much quicker than plain Dijsktra on a 2D map) and searching between N*M points with a filter applied, so I hoped it will be quicker than QGIS, but I never expected how quick it was - it only took 5 seconds to calculate the same results it took QGIS 23 hours and 300GB of disk space! Next time I have a GIS project I'm fairly certain I will not shy away from using PostGIS for calculations.

There were a couple of hard parts though, most notably:

ST_Collect will nicely merge multiple lines into one single large line, but the direction of that line looked a bit random, so I had to add some extra code to fix it later.

ST_Split was similarly quite okay to use (although it took me a while to realize I needed to use ST_Snap with proper settings for it to work), but yet again the ordering of the segments were off a slight bit, but I was too lazy to fix it with code - I just updated the wrong values by hand.

----

The next project I had never used in the past was OpenTripPlanner. I did have a public transport project a couple years ago but back then tools like this and the required public databases were very hard to come by, so I opted into using Google's APIs (with a hard limit to make sure this will never be more expensive than the free tier Google gives you each month), but I have again been blown away how good tooling has become since then. GTFS files are readily available for a lot of sources (although not all - MAV, the Hungarian Railways has it for example behind a registration paywall, and although English bus companies are required to publish this by law - and do it nicely, Scottish ones don't always do it, and even if they do finding them is not always easy. Looks to be something I should push within my party of choice as my foray into politics)

There are a couple of caveats with OpenTripPlanner, the main one being it does require a lot of RAM. Getting the Hungarian map, and the timetables from both Volánbusz (the state operated coach company) and BKK (the public transport company of Budapest) required around 13GB of RAM - and by default docker was only given 8, so it did crash at first with me not realizing why.

The interface of OpenTripPlanner is also a bit too simple, and it was fairly hard for me to stop it from giving me trips that only involve walking - I deliberately wanted it to only search between bus stops involving actual bus travel as the walking part I had already done using PostGIS. I did however check if I could have used OpenTripPlanner for that part as well, and while it did work somewhat it didn't really give optimal results for my use case, so I was relieved the time I spend in QGIS - PostGIS was not in vain.

The API of OpenTripPlanner was pretty neat though, it did mimic Google's route searching API as much as possible which I used in the past so parsing the results was quite easy.

----

Once we had all of the data ready, the final bit was converting it to something I can use in JavaScript. For this I used my trusted scripting language I use for such occasion for almost 20 years now: ruby. The only interesting part here was the use of Encoded Polylines (which is Google's standard of sending LineString information over inside JSON files), but yet again I did find enough tools to handle this pretty obscure format.

----

Final part was the display. While I usually used Leaflet in the past I really wanted to try OpenLayers, I had another project I had not yet finished where Leaflet was simply too slow for the data, and I had a very quick look at OpenLayers and saw it could display it with an acceptable performance, so I believed it might be a good opportunity for me to learn it. It was pretty okay, although I do believe transparent layers seem to be pretty slow under it without WebGL rendering, and I could not get WebGL working as it is still only available as a preview with no documentation (and the interface has changed completely in the last 2 months since I last looked at it). In any case OpenLayers was still a good choice - it had built in support for Encoded Polylines, GPX Export, Feature selection by hovering, and a nice styling API. It also required me to use Vita for building the application, which was a nice addition to my pretty lacking knowledge of JavaScript frameworks.

----

All in all this was a fun project, I definitely learned a lot I can use in the future. Seeing how well OpenTripPlanner is, and not just for public transport but also walking and cycling, did give me a couple new ideas I could not envision in the past because I could only do it with Google's Routing API which would have been prohibitively expensive. Now I just need to start lobbying for the Bus Services Act 2017 or something similar to be implemented in Scotland as well

21 notes · View notes

emtechredijitalajans · 7 months

Text

Emtechre Digital Agency: Your Gateway to Exceptional Web Design

Emtechre Digital Agency: Your Gateway to Exceptional Web Design Today, for your company’s online success, a professionally designed website can make a difference. We at Emtechre Digital Agency are devoted to designing websites that are visually stunning and have high functionality that enthrall the audience and yield tangible results.

We have a team of talented designers and developers who are capable of making your online presence a powerful tool for growth. After all, we realize that your site means more than just some web pages; it represents your brand as well as a vital point of contact with potential customers.

Our approach to web design is based on providing outstanding user experience. The website must be intuitive, visually beautiful and easy to navigate. Consequently, by implementing latest industry standards and best practices, we develop seamless and engaging user interfaces which will impress the visitors in an enduring way.

Emechre Digital Agency is proud to offer you customized solutions for your needs. We know every business has different goals and needs. Our team will cooperate with you in designing and deploying a solution that suits your vision whether it is a sleek informative website, a robust e-commerce platform or dynamic web application.

We are naturally built to stay ahead of the rest. We keep up with new technologies and trends so that your website remains modern, functional, and future-proof. From mobile first design that optimizes well for different devices, to incorporating interactive elements that enhance user engagement, we infuse innovation into every aspect of our web design process. Our partnership with clients is based on integrity and openness. We value your contributions and opinions, believing that a successful website is a result of teamwork. All through the web designing journey, we keep you posted by giving updates frequently and seeking for your feedback so as the final product will be beyond your expectations.

In conclusion, Emtechre Digital Agency is your go-to partner for web design excellence. Our team of experts combines artistic creativity with technical prowess to create stunningly beautiful websites that move your business forward. Employing an approach that is aimed at addressing the users’ needs, offering tailor made solutions as well as being committed to technological change leadership; we will ensure you make an impressive online footprint. Trust Emtechre Digital Agency to transform your website into a powerful asset that sets you apart from the competition and propels your business to new heights.

#web design #web development #webdesign #website #digital agency #digital marketing #e commerce #web developers #software #ads #google ads #social media management #seo services #seo #digitalmarketing #desing

11 notes · View notes

apptechbuilders · 11 months

Text

The Rise of Native Mobile App Development Agencies: Meeting the Growing Demand

In today's digital age, mobile apps have become an integral part of our lives. From ordering food and booking a ride to managing finances and staying connected with friends, we rely on mobile applications for numerous tasks. As a result, the demand for high-quality and user-friendly mobile apps has skyrocketed, giving rise to a thriving industry of native mobile app development agencies.

A native mobile app is designed specifically for a particular operating system, such as iOS or Android. Unlike hybrid or web apps, native apps provide a seamless user experience by utilizing the native features and capabilities of the targeted platform. This level of optimization and integration allows native apps to deliver superior performance, faster loading times, and access to device-specific functionalities, ultimately resulting in a more engaging user experience.

Native mobile app development is a complex and specialized field that requires expertise in various programming languages, frameworks, and development tools. Recognizing this, businesses and organizations increasingly turn to professional agencies to develop their mobile apps. These agencies specialize in native app development and employ skilled teams of designers, developers, and quality assurance experts who work together to create cutting-edge mobile experiences.

The Benefits of Working with Native Mobile App Development Agencies

Partnering with a native mobile app development agency offers numerous benefits for businesses looking to enter the mobile app market or enhance their existing app presence:

1. Specialized Knowledge and Expertise:

Native mobile app development agencies have a deep understanding of the intricacies of different platforms and their respective programming languages. Their expertise allows them to leverage the full potential of each operating system, ensuring that the app is optimized for performance, security, and user experience.

2. Customized Solutions:

Native app development agencies work closely with their clients to understand their unique business needs, target audience, and objectives. This collaboration enables them to create tailor-made solutions that align with the client's branding, functionality requirements, and long-term goals.

3. User-Centric Design:

Agencies specializing in native app development place a strong emphasis on user-centric design principles. They focus on creating intuitive and visually appealing interfaces that enhance user engagement and make the app easy to navigate, resulting in higher user satisfaction and retention rates.

4. Quality Assurance and Testing:

Ensuring the stability, performance, and security of a mobile app is paramount. Native mobile app development agencies have dedicated quality assurance teams that conduct rigorous testing across various devices, screen sizes, and operating system versions. This comprehensive testing process minimizes the likelihood of bugs and ensures a smooth user experience.

5. Ongoing Support and Maintenance:

The journey of a mobile app does not end with its launch. Native mobile app development agencies provide ongoing support and maintenance services to address any issues, implement updates, and incorporate new features. This continuous support ensures that the app remains up-to-date, secure, and compatible with the latest platform updates.

The Future of Native Mobile App Development Agencies

The future looks promising for native mobile app development agencies as the demand for mobile apps continues to grow across industries. With advancements in technology, such as augmented reality, machine learning, and Internet of Things (IoT), there are endless possibilities for creating innovative and immersive mobile experiences.

As businesses increasingly recognize the importance of mobile apps in driving customer engagement and revenue growth, the role of native mobile app development agencies becomes even more crucial. These agencies will play a pivotal role in helping businesses leverage the power of mobile technology and deliver exceptional user experiences.

In conclusion, the rise of native mobile app development agencies reflects the ever-increasing demand for high-quality mobile applications. By partnering with specialized agencies, businesses can harness the expertise of skilled professionals who excel in native app development. With their knowledge, experience, and commitment to user-centric design, these agencies are poised to shape the future of mobile app experiences.

Source

21 notes · View notes

adasitecompliance · 6 months

Text

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

WCAG 2.2: Decoding The Latest Web Accessibility Guidelines

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, accessibility has become a non-negotiable imperative for all users. The updated and latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, released in October 2023, stands as a beacon of inclusivity, providing comprehensive guidelines for making web content accessible to people with disabilities. Moreover, lawsuits against businesses with non-compliant websites have proliferated. According to ADA attorney Nolan Klein, thousands of ADA lawsuits have been filed in federal court alleging non-compliance with WCAG standards. Implementation of WCAG 2.2 standards is therefore critical not only for inclusivity but also for proper litigation risk management. As we explore WCAG 2.2 and its anticipated updates in 2023, this article aims to simplify its complexities, shedding light on the importance of web accessibility for the general public.

What is Web Accessibility?

In today’s interconnected world, the Internet has become indispensable for communication, education, employment, and social engagement. Practically everyone turns to the internet for a solution to all their queries, be they booking tickets, job opportunities, or making purchases. However, for individuals with disabilities, the web can present a daunting landscape of barriers, hindering their ability to participate in the digital sphere fully. This is where web accessibility comes into play. It is the practice of designing and developing websites and web applications so that even people with disabilities can easily and comfortably access and use them. By removing accessibility barriers and ensuring that web content is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, web accessibility promotes inclusivity and empowers individuals with disabilities to navigate the digital world quickly.

The Significance of Web Accessibility

The importance of a strong web accessibility initiative cannot be overstated. It is a fundamental human right enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Moreover, web accessibility makes good business sense. By catering to a broader audience, businesses can expand their customer base, enhance their brand reputation, and gain a competitive edge.

Impact on Diverse User Experiences

Web accessibility considerations extend far beyond the realm of disabilities. They encompass a broad spectrum of user experiences, including those related to age, language barriers, and situational impairments. Examples of situational impairments include watching videos with only audio in libraries or those with stubby fingers preferring larger call-to-action buttons. By designing websites that are inclusive and accessible to all, we can create a more equitable and user-friendly digital landscape.

W3C Releases: Shaping the Evolution of Accessibility

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) plays a pivotal role in developing and maintaining WCAG, ensuring that the guidelines remain relevant and effective in the face of evolving technologies and user needs. The WCAG 2.2 was developed through the W3C process with other individuals and worldwide organizations to provide web content accessibility guidelines that meet international governments’, organizations’, and individuals’ accessibility needs. The W3C recommends using the WCAG 2.2 as a standard for the web.And thus provides the necessary resources and training as guidance and clarity on implementing WCAG.

WCAG 2.2: A New Standard for Web Accessibility

In October 2023, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) released WCAG 2.2, the latest iteration of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The WCAG 2.2 is built on WCAG 2.0 and 2.1, the previous versions were built on WCAG 1.0, designed to apply different present and future technologies and tested through manual and automated testing. The update incorporates new WCAG success criteria and techniques, addressing the evolving needs of users with cognitive, language, and learning disabilities and reflecting advancements in web technologies.

WCAG 2.2 and Its Relevance

The release of WCAG 2.2 marks a significant step forward in pursuing web accessibility. By adopting these guidelines, web developers, content creators, and organizations ensure their digital products and services are accessible to a wider audience, fostering a more inclusive and equitable online experience.

Multiple Layers of Guidance

The various individuals and organizations using WCAG include policymakers, web designers, teachers, and students. Thus, multiple layers of guidance meet this varied audience’s comprehensive needs. These layers include:

Overall Principles

The foundation of WCAG 2.2 rests upon four fundamental principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. These principles, each encompassing specific guidelines and measurable success criteria, form the cornerstone of accessible web content.

Perceivable: Content must be presented so that users with visual, auditory, or other sensory impairments can perceive it.

Operable: Users with diverse abilities, including motor and speech impairments, must be able to operate a user interface component and navigate content effectively.

Understandable: Content must be presented clearly and unambiguously so that users with cognitive, learning, or language disabilities can comprehend it easily.

Robust: Content must remain accessible across all various assistive technology and user environments.

General Guidelines

These come next and are the 13 guidelines providing the goals authors adhere to for making content more accessible to users with different disabilities. While they aren’t testable, they provide the basic framework for authors to understand success criteria and, thus, better implement techniques.

Testable Success Criteria

Each guideline has testable success criteria to ensure WCAG 2.2 is used wherever requirements and performance testing are required. This includes design specifications, contractual agreements, and purchasing. WCAG 2.2 defines three levels of conformance level: A, AA, and AAA, each representing a progressive level of accessibility in different groups and situations.

Level A: The minimum level of accessibility, ensuring basic functionality for all users.

Level AA: A higher level of conformance, addressing the needs of many disabled users. It is considered the recommended level for most websites.

Level AAA: The most stringent level, catering to a wider range of disabilities and user preferences. It is often considered an aspirational goal for websites.

Sufficient and Advisory Techniques

Various techniques are used for each guideline and success criterion in WCAG 2.2, divided into two categories. Sufficient techniques for meeting success criteria and advisory techniques that let authors go beyond the individual success criteria to address guidelines better. They may address accessibility problems or barriers the testable success criteria do not cover. These layers of guidance together guide web developers to make content more accessible by applying as many layers as possible. This includes including advisory techniques so that the content addresses the needs of most users.

WCAG 2.2: A Watershed Moment in Digital Accessibility

WCAG 2.2 addresses the ever-changing technological landscape and evolving user needs, thus emerging as a pivotal step forward from its predecessor, WCAG 2.1. This enhanced iteration introduces nine tool accessibility guidelines and new success criteria meticulously crafted to enhance accessibility for users with visual, physical, and cognitive disabilities. These additional success criteria encourage:

1. Improved Focus Management

WCAG 2.2 introduces three enhanced focus management success criteria catering to users with motor impairments. These success criteria enable users to navigate web content smoothly and efficiently. These success criteria are:

2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) (AA): According to this success criterion, there might be some degree of hiding or obscuring keyboard-focused user interface components like buttons or links in a website or app design.

2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced) (AAA): According to this success criterion, content web developers create, like website and app design, cannot hide any part of keyword-focused user interface components.

2.4.13 Focus Appearance (AAA): According to this success criterion, visible keyboard focus indicator parts must be a minimum of a 2 CSS pixel thick perimeter of unfocused components or sub-components. They should also have a minimal 3:1 ratio between pixels in focused and unfocused states.

2. Enhanced Touch Input Support

Recognizing the growing prevalence of touch-enabled devices, WCAG 2.2 introduces refined guidelines for touch input and page break navigation. This ensures seamless interaction for users with limited or no mouse interaction. These success criteria are:

2.5.7 Dragging Movements (AA)

According to this success criterion, a single pointer can perform dragging movements without dragging. Exceptions are when dragging is crucial to the functionality or the user agent dictates the functionality and remains unaltered by the author.

2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) (AA)

According to this success criterion, the minimum size for pointer input targets is 24 by 24 CSS pixels, with exceptions in:

Spacing: Targets smaller than 24 by 24 CSS pixels can be positioned so that, if a 24 CSS pixel diameter circle is centered on each target’s bounding box, the circles do not intersect with other targets.

Equivalent: The same function can be accomplished through a different control on the same page, meeting the 24 by 24 CSS pixel criterion.

Inline: The target is within a sentence, or its size is constrained by the line height of non-target text.

User-agent control: The user agent determines the target size and remains unaltered by the author.

Essential: A specific presentation of the target is deemed essential or is legally required for conveying the information.

3. Clearer Color Contrast Guidance

WCAG 2.2 provides clearer and more stringent guidelines for color contrast to address the needs of low-vision users. It thus ensures text is easily distinguishable from its background. These success criteria are:

3.2.6 Consistent Help (A)

According to this success criterion, if web pages include certain help mechanisms like human contact details, human contact mechanisms, self-help options, and fully automated contact mechanisms, they should maintain a consistent order across multiple pages unless a user-initiated change occurs.

3.3.7 Redundant Entry (A)

According to this success criterion, user-provided information that must be repeatedly entered in the same process is auto-populated or made available for the user to select. Exceptions are when:

Re-entering the information is deemed essential

The information is necessary for ensuring content security

The previously entered information is no longer valid

3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) (AA)

According to this success criterion, an authentication process does not mandate cognitive function tests like remembering a password or solving a puzzle. Exceptions are when the step offers at least one of the following:

Alternative: Another authentication method that doesn’t involve a cognitive function test.

Mechanism: A mechanism aids the user in completing the cognitive function test.

Object Recognition: The cognitive function test involves recognizing objects.

Personal Content: The cognitive function test identifies non-text content the user provides to the website.

3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced) (AAA)

According to this success criterion, cognitive function tests, like recalling a password or solving a puzzle, are not obligatory at any stage in an authentication process unless the step offers either:

Alternative: An alternative authentication method not dependent on a cognitive function test.

Mechanism: A mechanism is accessible to aid the user in completing the cognitive function test.

The new success criteria may reference new terms that have also been added to the glossary and form part of the normative requirements of the success criteria. WCAG 2.2 also introduces new sections detailing aspects of specifications impacting privacy and security.

Was Any Success Criterion Removed from WCAG 2.2?

Yes, the success criterion 4.1.1 Parsing was removed from WCAG 2.2. It was removed as it was considered obsolete due to the advancements in web technology. Besides, new success criteria in WCAG 2.2 provide a more robust and up-to-date approach to ensuring accessible web content to disabled users. Here is why 4.1.1 Parsing was removed from WCAG 2.2:

It was primarily focused on older technologies, such as HTML 4.0 and earlier versions of XHTML, which are no longer widely used.

It was not well-defined and could be interpreted differently, leading to inconsistencies in implementation.

It was not as effective as other success criteria in ensuring that web content is parsable by user agents.

Removing 4.1.1 Parsing from WCAG 2.2 does not mean the parsing issue is no longer important. However, the new success criteria in WCAG 2.2 provide a more comprehensive and effective way to address this issue.

WCAG 2.1 vs. WCAG 2.2- The Differences

The latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, WCAG 2,2, builds upon its predecessor, WCAG 2.1, to further enhance web accessibility for people with disabilities. While WCAG 2.1 laid a solid foundation for accessible web development, WCAG 2.2 introduces new success criteria, refines existing guidelines, and provides clearer instructions to make accessibility more achievable and maintainable. There are thus these five major differences between the two:

1. New Success Criteria in WCAG 2.2

WCAG 2.2 introduces nine additional success criteria, addressing areas such as:

Focus appearance: Ensuring that focus indicators are sufficiently visible and distinguishable to aid navigation for users with low vision or cognitive disabilities.

Page break navigation: Providing clear and consistent mechanisms for navigating between page breaks, particularly for users who rely on screen readers or keyboard navigation.

Dragging movements: Making drag-and-drop interactions accessible to users with motor disabilities by providing adequate target sizes and clear visual feedback.

Consistent help: Providing consistent and easily accessible help or support mechanisms throughout the website or application.

Visible controls: Ensuring that all controls, including form fields and buttons, are clearly visible and distinguishable even to low-vision users.

These new success criteria reflect the evolving technological landscape and a deeper understanding of user needs, particularly those with cognitive disabilities.

2. Enhanced Mobile Accessibility

WCAG 2.2 continues to refine mobile accessibility guidelines, recognizing the growing prevalence of mobile devices and the need for websites and applications to be accessible across all platforms. This includes improvements in:

Touch target sizes: Ensuring touch targets are large enough and spaced appropriately to accommodate ease of use to users with motor disabilities or limited dexterity.

Input modalities: Providing alternative input modalities, such as voice control or keyboard navigation, to cater to users with different physical abilities.

Context-aware activation: Preventing unintentional activation of elements, such as pop-ups or overlays, that could hinder navigation for users with cognitive disabilities.

3. Improved Usability and Clarity

WCAG 2.2 aims to make the guidelines more user-friendly and actionable for developers and content creators through:

More explicit guidelines: Provide clearer and more explicit instructions for each success criterion to reduce the need for interpretation and ensure consistent implementation.

Additional examples: Offer more comprehensive and illustrative examples to demonstrate how to meet each success criterion in real-world scenarios.

Improved organization: Structuring the guidelines more logically and intuitively makes it easier for developers to find the information they need.

4. Backward Compatibility and Continuous Evolution

WCAG 2.2 maintains backward compatibility with WCAG 2.1, meaning that websites and applications conforming to WCAG 2.2 also adhere to WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards. This ensures that accessibility efforts are not lost with each new guidelines version. As technology and user needs evolve, WCAG will adapt and refine its guidelines to ensure that the web remains an inclusive and accessible space for all.

5. Removal of One Success Criterion

The success criterion 4.1.1 Parsing was removed from WCAG 2.2 as it was considered obsolete compared to web technology advancements. Besides, new additional success criteria in WCAG 2.2 ensure web content is accessible to users with disabilities.

Impact on User Experience

As always, the WCAG 2.2 offers an improved user experience, rendering digital content more user-friendly and inclusive for everyone, including users with disabilities. By adhering to the latest WCAG 2.2 guidelines, websites, and digital platforms become more accessible to all their users and visitors, regardless of their abilities. It doesn’t matter what disability the user may have or where they are, they can easily navigate, comprehend, and interact with the digital content. This is thus a win-win situation for both users and web developers. For example, visually impaired users easily navigate websites with images with alt text. In addition to improved accessibility, the alt text helps with SEO, thus improving the digital platform’s SEO rankings. Similarly, users with physical impairments and, in general, all users can easily navigate websites that are keyboard-navigable.

WCAG and Its Benefits for Businesses:

Embracing web accessibility guidelines should never be considered a waste of time or investment. It’s because web accessibility perfectly aligns with any and every business’s interests. It offers benefits like:

Broader Customer Base

Not only does WCAG 2.2 ensure everyone has equal access to the web, but the additional success criteria in WCAG 2.2 address additional disabilities to foster a broader customer base. People with disabilities form a major part of any website visitors. They will not be able to use or visit inaccessible websites. This, in turn, prevents them from accessing important information or performing important tasks like applying for jobs, booking tickets, or making purchases.

Increased Compliance

Adhering to WCAG 2.2 guidelines helps businesses and organizations comply with legal standards like accessibility laws and regulations protecting the rights of users with disabilities. Examples include the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the European Web Directive. With businesses adhering to the latest WCAG 2.2, there are reduced chances of users filing cases for inaccessibility. Businesses thus save money by avoiding lawsuits. Besides, by ensuring equal access to users with disabilities, organizations and businesses contribute to creating a more inclusive and equitable digital environment for all.

Common Challenges in WCAG 2.2 Implementation and Useful Solutions:

Implementing WCAG 2.2 can be complex and challenging for businesses and organizations, as incorporating them into web development and maintenance processes can pose significant hurdles.

5 Common Challenges Businesses Face

The five common challenges faced by most businesses and web developers while implementing WCAG 2.2 include:

Lack of Awareness and Understanding: Many businesses and organizations lack a comprehensive understanding of WCAG 2.2 and its implications for their websites and applications. This lack of knowledge can lead to unintentional non-compliance and potential legal issues.

Resource Constraints: Implementing WCAG 2.2 often requires significant financial and human resources. Businesses may need to allocate additional funds for accessibility testing, training, and software tools while dedicating staff time to address accessibility issues.

Legacy Technology and Codebases: Websites and applications built on older technologies or with complex codebases may be more challenging to adapt to WCAG 2.2 standards. This can require extensive, time-consuming, and costly refactoring and code remediation.

Content Management Systems (CMS) and Third-party Tools: Integrating WCAG 2.2 compliance into CMS and third-party tools can be tricky, especially in tools lacking built-in accessibility features.

Ongoing Maintenance and Testing: WCAG 2.2 compliance is not a one-time project. It requires ongoing maintenance and testing to ensure new content and updates adhere to the guidelines. This can add to the ongoing costs and resource demands for maintaining an accessible website.

Practical Solutions to Overcome Challenges

The good news is that there are practical solutions that web developers can easily use to overcome these challenges. They include:

Educating and Training Staff: Regular training sessions for web developers, designers, and content creators raise awareness of WCAG 2.2 guidelines and best practices.

This helps ensure that accessibility considerations are integrated into all web development and maintenance aspects.

Prioritize Accessibility from the Start: Incorporating accessibility considerations into web development projects’ planning and design phases helps.

This proactive approach can help identify and address potential accessibility issues early on, thus preventing costly retrofits later.

Utilize Accessibility Testing Tools: Employing automated accessibility testing tools to identify and troubleshoot accessibility issues throughout the development process also helps.

These tools can provide valuable insights and help streamline the remediation process.

Choose Accessible CMS and Third-party Tools: When selecting CMS and third-party tools, prioritize those that offer built-in accessibility features and support WCAG 2.2 compliance.

This can save time and effort in the long run. Businesses may need to customize these tools or find alternative solutions that meet accessibility requirements.

Establish an Accessibility Workflow: Implementing a clear accessibility workflow that outlines roles, responsibilities, and procedures for ensuring and maintaining WCAG 2.2 compliance helps.

This will help keep accessibility at the forefront of web development and maintenance.

Clearing Common WCAG 2.2 Implementation Misconceptions

A few common misconceptions about implementing WCAG 2.2 discourage web developers from implementing them. Here are 5 common misconceptions dispelled:

Accessibility is Expensive: True

Yes, implementing WCAG 2.2 can involve upfront costs. However, the long-term benefits of an accessible website outweigh these expenses. An accessible website can increase user engagement, improve brand reputation, and reduce the risk of legal issues.

Accessibility is Only for People with Disabilities: False

Accessibility benefits everyone, not just those with disabilities. An accessible website is more user-friendly and usable for all, regardless of their abilities or limitations.

Accessibility is Too Technical: True

While some technical expertise is required to implement WCAG 2.2, accessibility is not solely a technical issue. It requires collaboration between designers, developers, content creators, and stakeholders to ensure a truly accessible user experience.

Accessibility Can Wait: False

Accessibility should not be an afterthought for website owners. It is essential to integrate accessibility considerations into all web development and maintenance phases. Addressing accessibility early on can save time and resources in the long run.

Accessibility is Binary: False

Accessibility is not a pass-fail situation but a spectrum of conformance levels. Businesses should strive to achieve the highest level of accessibility possible, as even incremental improvements can make a significant difference for users with disabilities.

Conclusion

WCAG 2.2 marks a significant milestone in pursuing digital accessibility by addressing more accessibility needs. It builds on WCAG 2.1 by adding new guidelines and success criteria and clarifying and updating existing ones. It makes the web more accessible and offers a roadmap for creating inclusive and user-friendly websites for individuals with diverse abilities. By adhering to these guidelines, web developers, content creators, and organizations play a pivotal role in bridging the digital divide, thus ensuring everyone has equal access to digital content across the internet.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Experts – ADA Site Compliance

Contact ADA Site Compliance today for all your ADA website compliance and website accessibility needs! Get your FREE SITE SCAN now. We are leaders in assistive technologies and making all your websites accessible.

0 notes