The last time I saw this guy was last winter when our pond was the only water not frozen over. I am not sure why he has returned. If he likes me he has a strange way of showing affection!

A List Apart 164 (double issue). In this week's issue of A List Apart, for people who make websites: RETOOLING SLASHDOT WITH WEB STANDARDS, by Daniel M. Frommel. A look at the markup behind Slashdot.org that demonstrates how simple — and cost-effective — the switch to a standards-compliant Slashdot could be. Plus JAVASCRIPT IMAGE REPLACEMENT by Christian Heilmann. Perhaps it's time to consider the ups and downs of a JavaScript-based alternative to the Fahrner Image Replacement technique. This version uses plain vanilla XHTML with no special IDs or CSS tricks. [Jeffrey Zeldman Presents: The Daily Report]

Two nice and interesting articles about improving web usability.