However, you can easily fake it for backgrounds of block elements in IE with
filter:progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Gradient(GradientType=1, StartColorStr='#aaRRBBGG', EndColorStr='#aaRRBBGG);
The filter gradient places a alpha channel colour gradient over the background. So as long the background is transparent, the start and end colours the same and the alpha (aa) channel a value greater than 0 (fully transparent) and FF (fully opaque), you get a block element in IE with a RGBa background. You can see an example of RGBa in action in IE

The simplest way is including in your CSS
background: transparent ;
background: rgba(255,0,0,0.5) ;
filter:progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Gradient(GradientType=1, StartColorStr='#88ff0000', EndColorStr='#88ff0000');

Which is clean and simple, even it does deliver you invalid CSS. There are two problems, if a browser does not support RGBa and is not IE, (eg FF2) the block element background will be transparent. I do not think that is a major issue right now. There are a handful of browsers outside IE in use that do not support RGBa. My main concern is future proofing, the next major version of IE (the beta is due within a year) will support RGBa (as well as HTML5 and some CSS3 according to sources) and as usual will maintain backwards compatibility with earlier versions of IE. So you will get a semi transparent background colour overlaid with a semi transparent gradient.

The solution, is to provide a stylesheet to all browsers and an extra stylesheet to IE8 and below with conditional comments. So your CSS will have:
background: fallback color RGB or hex ;
/* background colour for browsers that are not IE that do not understand RGBa */
background: rgba(R,G,B,a) ;
Your HTML will include (note don’t try and cut and paste from here as grab the text file instead):
<!--[if lt IE 8]>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/xtras/ieonly.css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
And ieonly.css file include:
background: transparent ;
/* needed to clear the background colour */
filter:progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Gradient(GradientType=1, StartColorStr='#88ff0000', EndColorStr='#88ff0000');

If you don’t believe me and do not have IE6, here is the screenshot. And I was not the first one to suggest this method for implementing RGBa in IE, Hedger Wang did some time ago, and even suggested using canvas to provide the transparent background to FF2. I only found his example while finalising this post.

I will not submit it, because Dave has not accepted any new submissions almost two year, my demo is far from the visual standard of most other design and I broke one major rule the CSS does not validate.

There are no hacks in the CSS just lots of browsers specific declarations like:

-moz-box-shadow: 5px 5px 7px rgba(0,0,0,0.66);

And even worse Microsoft specific declarations, which break the W3C rules for CSS

filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.dropshadow(OffX=5, OffY=5, Color='#AA666666', Positive='true');

As I said in my presentation, the important thing to know about validation, is why your code does not validate, if you know that, then validation is irrelevant.

What I learnt is enough from probably a dozen blog posts, so hopefully I will be writing lot in the next few weeks.

The aim is to show how you can use CSS2 and CSS3 to improve the experience of visitors using modern browsers, while not blocking access to those people still using older browsers like IE6. I want to convince the audience, that you can build sites that do not have to look the same in all browsers.

I will be looking at what CSS2 and CSS3 you can safely implement now. The main provision it must not break IE6. It does not have to work in IE6, just have a safe fallback position.

The presentation is not aimed at people who read Surfin Safari, CSS3.info or similar sites and then go off an experiment with what they have been shown. That is what I do

I know I will be covering those I covered indepth before like opacity/transparency and <a href=http://nickcowie.com/2008/font-face/”>@font-face. Are there any other CSS2 or CSS3 properties you would like to see me cover? Otherwise I might go all shock and awe with transitions ;-)

So this is what I created to clean up Word HTML, you paste the HTML is to the editable div, hit the button and if you are using Internet Explorer the converted HTML is copied to your clipboard. So you can paste the clean HTML (note it is HTML code) straight into the CMS editor in HTML mode or WordPress.

Note, while you can use JavaScript to add to the clipboard with Internet Explorer, you need to use Flash to copy the contents to the clipboard for other browsers. I have not do that yet. Mainly because Internet Explorer is the corporate browser and this was created for work.

So have a look under the hood, see how it works, take the code and modify it for your own use. It appears to be working for what I need, but maybe needed to be modified for your situation.

*** does not currently work in IE8, I need to investigate further ***

I said it does not cost more to build a WCAG 1.0 level 2 compliant website if your developer knows what they where doing. The two developers sitting either side of us ( one state government and one private enterprise) agreed, yet this person kept saying it costs more money.

The private enterprise developer then asked why don’t you include the requirement for WCAG 1.0 level 2 compliance in their website tender. The response it is too expensive. Asked if they ever tried, no it is too expensive was the response.

It is not 2000, when Maguire vs SOCOG decision was new and fresh and understanding of website accessibility amongst developers was limited. For the past 10 years, Australians website developers and Government Agencies have known the Disability Discrimination Act applies to websites. If you can not build a WCAG 1.0 level 2 compliant website in 2009, you do not need extra money to fix it, you need to look at website business practices and bring them into the 21st century.

I am fan of procycling an particularly the grand tour events, the Tour De France (TdF), Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana. It all started years ago when I started cycling and SBS started showing selected stages. I quickly realised it is not the best cyclist that wins, but a combination of cyclist, team and strategy and I was hooked.

Back then, I did not look for information online while watching the TdF. I would always catch up the next morning with the results and preview that day’s stage. Over the years that has slowly changed. Last year, while watching the Tdf, I used FriendFeed to talk to cycling fans and kept up to date with various websites. Even managed to find streaming video to catch stages before SBS started broadcasting and some stages of the Vuelta.

However, everything changed at the Tour Down Under when Lance Armstrong introduced Twitter a large number of top professional cyclists. Once you found them you get a better understanding of what is happening and finding out the news quickly. For example Levi Leipheimer broken wrist and having to abandon the tour, the same way most news outlets did by a Lance Armstrong tweet. Again today’s abandoment by Tom Boonen via a Steven de Jongh tweet.

In addition to riders, you have twittering team managers, mechanics and other personnel, cycling journalists as well as other cycling fans. The big advantage of being in contact with other fans on twitter is you can find resources quickly, including streaming video, I watched every stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré and Giro this year, thanks to Twitter. When races did not have streaming video or audio, there was a twitterfeed of what was happening in the race.

A few tips

Search on #procycling hashtag, find the hashtag for the event, for the Tour de France it is #tdf and open a search window in tweetdeck to follow a race.

Follow Steephill and Cycling Fans for the latest resources.

Go follow some procycling twitters and you will often find that procyclists follow other procyclists.

State Premier's

• John Brumby
• Mike Rann
• Colin Barnett

Blogs

• Transport Security Blog what a Government blog should be
• State Library of Western Australia blog

Facebook

• School Leavers WA unfortunately their facebook page is not available now.

Twitter

• Western Australia
• TransPerth
• Forrest Products Commission

Others

• LA Fire Department
• 7th District Court of Appeal Practitioner’d Handbook wiki
• Intellipedia on Wikipedia

I have been using an inexpensive no name backpack to carry the necessary baggage (work clothes but not shoes, cycling clothes for trip home, tools and spare tube) for the ride to work for the last couple of years, and it has done the job.

However, I start riding the recycled single speed to work and that did not have mounts for drinks bottle. One of the reason I bought that specific noname backpack was it could also be used as a hydration pack. So I tried to use it as a hydration pack, and it did not work for me. The tubing was in the wrong spot, the provided bladder pack was difficult to use, the mouthpiece leaked and my CamelBak 1.5l bladders did not fit the pack.

Then purely by accident I saw the Crumpler Yee Ross on the Crumpler web site, a Crumpler backpack that can be used as a hydration pack. So I went to my local Crumpler store, check it out and walked away after purchasing last year’s model (more on that later).

A few days later it was pressed into service as a hydration pack with a CamelBak 1.5l bladder and it performed exceptional well, the routing put the mouth piece in the right spot and the CamelBak 1.5l bladder did it’s job providing me hydration. It was also far more comfortable to ride in than the noname backpack. The weight was well distributed, the shoulder straps where in the right spot for me and did not dig in.

I started using the Yee Ross as a regular backpack for all my other commutes and I am completely sold on it. The comfort factor has it.

Pros

• Comfortable, even with a moderate load.
• Works as a hydration pack with a variety of bladders.
• It is a Crumpler it will be durable.

Cons

• Smaller than most backpacks, need to pack carefully.
• Tight squeeze sliding a MacBook Pro in, not a problem with the Acer Aspire One though.
• It is a Crumpler ;-)

There is a difference between last year’s model which is made from thicker more durable material, has a waterproof pocket and wider belt straps than this year’s model which comes in more funky colours. So if you want one and I recommend last year’s model for durability and practically I would head into your local crumpler store now. I have owned mine for 8 weeks and I would highly recommend it.