Forem: ANGGARA

Awakening Awareness: Accessibility as a Humanitarian Call

ANGGARA — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:30:18 +0000

Initially, I acknowledged that accessibility in the world of web development was not my primary concern. I was apathetic, focusing on technical and aesthetic aspects, without realizing the depth of meaning behind the design of a website.

However, life led me to explore design systems from major technology companies such as Microsoft, IBM, and Meta, which surprised me. Why do such large companies prioritize accessibility in their web design?

In this exploration journey, I was astonished by the fact that the population of people with disabilities in my homeland, Indonesia, reaches 22 million out of a total of 278 million inhabitants. This is not just a statistic but evidence that disabilities are no longer a minority but a significant part of society.

The biggest surprise came when I interacted with visually impaired individuals facing difficulties operating websites and applications, especially on mobile apps for payments. They experienced barriers due to developers not providing accurate labels or neglecting semantic HTML, making screen readers unable to accurately read messages.

Through this experience, my understanding of accessibility deepened. Accessibility is not just about assisting people with disabilities but also about creating a better experience for all.

I also recently learned that in the world of web development, the term "accessibility" is commonly abbreviated as A11y. The term "A11y" is derived from the word "accessibility," where the number "11" represents the omitted characters between the first and last letters, emphasizing the eleven letters within the word. This abbreviation is used to simplify communication and text, making it more concise and efficient, aligning with the principles of accessibility itself – ensuring information is clear and easily comprehensible for all.

I am convinced that supporting accessibility is answering the call of humanity. Every individual, without exception, may potentially face a disability over time. Now is the time to collectively build an inclusive foundation for our future.

The importance of accessibility in the digital world is demonstrated by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the POUR principles (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust) from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). POUR is a practical guide summarizing four key principles:

Perceivable: Content must be presented in a way that can be perceived by all users, including those using assistive technologies like screen readers.
Operable: All interactive elements and navigation must be operable through various methods, including keyboard or other assistive devices.
Understandable: Information and operations must be clear and understandable for all users, including those with varying levels of comprehension.
Robust: Content must be accessible by various technologies, including those that may not exist currently.

As fellow developers, consider the following questions to initiate the implementation of POUR principles in your projects:

Perceivable

Have you provided alternative text ('alt text') for non-text content?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you provided transcripts for audio and video?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you provided text on videos (captions)?
Answer: Yes / No
Is your content logically structured and navigable, readable by screen readers – including when stylesheets are disabled?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you used proper markup for each feature (e.g., forms and data tables), ensuring correct content relationships are defined?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you not relied on color as the only way to distinguish something?
Answer: Yes / No
Can each feature be used when text size is increased to 200%, and content can flow into a single column when increased to 400%?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you not placed important text within images so that people with disabilities can easily read it through a screen reader?
Answer: Yes / No
Is your service responsive – for example, to user devices, page orientation, and their preferred font size?
Answer: Yes / No
Does your service function well with assistive technologies – for instance, are important messages marked in a way that screen readers recognize as crucial?
Answer: Yes / No

Operable

Have you ensured that everything functions for users who only use a keyboard?
Answer: Yes / No
Does it allow users to play, pause, and stop moving content?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you avoided using flashing or blinking content – or allowed users to disable animations?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you provided a 'skip to content' link or equivalent?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you used descriptive headings for pages and frames?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you ensured users can navigate through content in a logical manner?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you used descriptive links so users know where the link will take them or what content can be downloaded from the link?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you used meaningful headings and labels, ensuring accessible labels match or are similar to the labels you use in the interface?
Answer: Yes / No
Does it make it easy for keyboard users to see which item is currently focused – known as 'active focus'?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you only used mouse events or dynamic interactions (like dragging or pulling) when absolutely necessary – or allowed users to disable them and interact with the interface in a different way?
Answer: Yes / No
Does it make it easy for users to disable and change shortcut keys?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you ensured interactive elements like buttons are large enough or separated far enough to facilitate accurate selection?
Answer: Yes / No

Understandable

Is it made clear in which language the content is written, and is it indicated if there is a change in language?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you ensured features look consistent and behave in a way that can be predicted, including help mechanisms?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you ensured all form fields have visible and meaningful labels – and that they are properly marked?
Answer: Yes / No
Does it make it easy for people to identify and correct errors in forms – you can find best practices for form design in the GOV.UK Design System?
Answer: Yes / No
Does it make it easy for people to re-enter information they have previously entered into a form?
Answer: Yes / No
Does it make it easy for people to log in without having to remember information or solve problems?
Answer: Yes / No

Robust

Have you ensured your code informs assistive technologies about the purpose of each user interface component, the current state, and if there are changes?
Answer: Yes / No
Have you ensured important status messages or modal dialogs are marked in a way that informs users of their presence and purpose, allowing interaction with their assistive technology?
Answer: Yes / No

These questions are the starting point, guiding us toward a path of continuous improvement in making technology more accessible and inclusive for everyone.

By understanding and implementing the POUR principles, we can shape a digital world that is friendly and inclusive. Let us collectively face the future with empathy, welcoming the diversity of humanity in every step of technological development.

Getting to Know the Internet God: Jon Postel

ANGGARA — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 10:27:37 +0000

Jonathan Bruce Postel, more commonly known as Jon Postel, may sound unfamiliar to some individuals. However, it is noteworthy that this American figure has made significant contributions to the world of the internet. Eventually, he earned the epithet "The Internet God" due to his substantial contributions.

Perhaps some of us are still unfamiliar with this figure. Therefore, let us delve into a summary of his life journey.

Early Life and Education

Born on August 6, 1943, Postel grew up in Southern California. After completing his secondary education at Van Nuys High School, he continued his academic journey at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Jon Postel pursued a major in Computer Science and graduated in 1966. Two years later, he earned a master's degree, and in 1974, Postel obtained his Ph.D.

Joining a Major Project

Shortly after earning his doctoral degree in the course of his education, Jon Postel became involved in the early development project of the Internet known as ARPAnet. In this project, Postel also played a role as a Post-Graduate Research Engineer.

Contributions to Internet Protocols

Throughout his tenure in the ARPAnet project, Postel extensively studied and developed internet protocols and standards. Postel's focus was on the connectivity of data within the network (online).

Some Key Contributions of Jon Postel

As previously mentioned, Jon Postel focused on the development and management of internet protocols. These can be considered as the guiding principles that have played a crucial role in shaping the internet as we know it today. Here are some examples of his contributions:

Drafting Internet Protocols: Postel was one of the key architects of the fundamental protocols used in the internet, including the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP). These protocols form the foundation for communication and data exchange across the entire internet.
Domain Addressing System: Jon Postel also played a crucial role in the development of the Domain Name System (DNS), which is used to associate numeric IP addresses with easily memorable domain names, such as www.example.com. DNS is an integral part of the internet we use every day. We no longer need to remember long strings of numbers to access online sites; instead, we simply use domain names.
RFC (Request for Comments): Postel was the first editor of RFC, a series of documents that define various standards, protocols, and concepts used in the internet. RFC has served as the foundation for the development and implementation of internet technologies.
Management of IANA: Jon Postel was the first manager of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). This role involved overseeing and managing the use and allocation of unique numbers and parameters in the internet, such as IP addresses and TCP/UDP port numbers. This responsibility granted him significant influence in ensuring the coordination and regulation of the internet.
Commitment to Internet Security: Postel consistently prioritized the security and stability of the internet.
Role in the Expansion of the Internet: Jon Postel played a significant role in ensuring that the internet grew and evolved in an open and decentralized manner, allowing all parties to access and contribute to this global network.

Postel’s Law

Jon Postel is also known for his unique thoughts and principles. One of them is the Robustness Principle, also known as Postel's Law.

Postel stated: "Be conservative in what you send, be liberal in what you accept." Another commonly used translation is: "Be conservative in what you send, be liberal in what you accept." This principle is also known as Postel's Law, named after Jon Postel who included this statement in the initial specifications for TCP.

By applying the above principle, programs that send messages to other machines (or to other programs on the same machine) should make every effort to adhere strictly to the specifications. On the other hand, programs that receive messages should still accept inputs that do not strictly conform to the specifications as long as the meaning is clear.

The Courage of Jon Postel

Not only recognized as a computer expert working behind the scenes, Jon Postel also possessed a spirit of advocating for humanitarian values and freedom of expression. His passion was evidenced by his courage to voice protests against the United States government.

The conflict between Jon Postel and the United States government regarding the internet occurred in 1998. This conflict originated from differences of opinion between Postel and the U.S. government regarding the management of the internet.

Postel was a computer scientist who played a crucial role in the development of the internet. He served as the Director of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), an organization responsible for managing IP addresses and internet domains.

The U.S. government has an interest in controlling the internet, primarily because it is a critical technology that can be utilized for military and national security purposes. The U.S. government is concerned that if the internet is not managed effectively, it could pose threats to national security.

In 1998, the U.S. government proposed placing IANA under the control of the U.S. government. Postel opposed this proposal, arguing that the internet should be managed independently by the internet community.

Postel argued that the internet is a globally-oriented technology and cannot be controlled by any single country alone. He also contended that independent management of the internet would ensure freedom and openness on the internet.

This conflict persisted for several months. Ultimately, the U.S. government decided to withdraw the proposal, largely due to pressure from the internet community that supported Postel.

It is important to note that this conflict was a significant moment in the history of the internet. It demonstrated that the internet community has the power to defend the freedom and openness of the internet, and Postel was a key figure in that movement.

Here are several points of disagreement between Postel and the U.S. government regarding the management of the internet:

Postel argued that the internet should be managed independently by the internet community, while the U.S. government contended that the internet should be under the control of the U.S. government.
Postel argued that the internet is a globally-oriented technology and cannot be controlled by any single country alone, while the U.S. government contended that the internet is a critical technology for military and national security purposes.
Postel argued that independent management of the internet would ensure freedom and openness, while the U.S. government was concerned that independent management could pose threats to national security.

This conflict was ultimately resolved peacefully. The U.S. government withdrew its proposal, and the internet continued to be managed independently by the internet community.

Interesting Events During the Conflict

On a day in January 1998, Jon Postel sent an email to eight out of the 12 organizations that managed the entire internet address book (DNS). He instructed them to reconfigure their computer servers so that they would obtain addresses not from the government-supported operation in Herndon, Virginia, but from the machines in the computing facility he helped manage at the University of Southern California. And they did so!

According to news reports at that time, Postel made these changes without obtaining approval from anyone. Some described it as a mere "experiment" intended to demonstrate that the internet directory infrastructure could be positioned as needed. However, others argued that Postel was sending a message — that he was trying to show the White House that they could not control the internet from the community of researchers who had built and maintained the network for three decades prior. The White House was just days away from announcing plans to reorganize the way the internet directory system was governed.

The Passing of Jon Postel

On Sunday, October 16, 1998, after years of quietly contributing to the development of the internet, enduring multiple heart surgeries, and resolving his disputes with the United States government, Jonathan Bruce Postel finally drew his last breath.

Postel passed away at the age of 55, a relatively young age. However, in his relatively short lifespan, Postel made significant contributions to the development of the Internet, shaping it into what we can enjoy today—a more decentralized internet, accessible to everyone.

A month later, following Postel's passing, some of his staunch supporters symbolically launched paper airplanes into the air as a final gesture of gratitude and homage to the Internet God.

As a closing to this legendary true story, I include one of the iconic quotes from Jon Postel:

"Of course, there is no such thing as the Internet God. The internet exists because many people are willing to collaborate to develop it."

source:
https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Postel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Postel
https://www.wired.com/1998/11/a-wizard-rests-in-peace/
https://www.isoc.org/grants-and-awards/postel-service-award/
https://www.postel.org/jon-postel/remembrances/photo-collage/
http://scihi.org/jon-postel-editor-internet/
https://www.wired.com/2012/10/joe-postel/
https://lawsofux.com/postels-law/

Mengenal Sang Dewa Internet: Jon Postel (Indonesian Version)

ANGGARA — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 08:42:29 +0000

Jonathan Bruce Postel atau lebih sering dikenal dengan nama Jon Postel mungkin terdengar asing di telinga beberapa orang. Namun, siapa yang menyangka, bahwa pria berkebangsaan Amerika Serikat ini adalah salah satu orang yang berjasa di dunia internet. Hingga pada akhirnya dia mendapat julukan, “Sang Dewa Internet” karena kontribusinya yang signifikan.

Mungkin beberapa dari kita masih asing dengan sosok ini. Maka dari itu, mari kita simak ringkasan dari perjalanan hidupnya.

Masa Muda dan Pendidikan

Lahir pada tanggal 6 Agustus 1943, Postel besar di California Selatan. Setelah menempuh pendidikan Sekolah Menengah di Van Nuys High School, beliau melanjutkan perjalanan menimba ilmunya di University of California, Los Angeles atau lebih sering dikenal dengan nama UCLA. Jon Postel mengambil jurusan Ilmu Komputer dan lulus pada tahun 1966. Dua tahun kemudian dia mendapatkan gelar master dan pada tahun 1974, Postel mendapatkan gelar Ph.D.

Bergabung dengan Projek Besar

Tidak lama setelah mendapatkan gelar doktorat dalam perjalanan pendidikannya, Jon Postel terlibat dalam projek pengembangan awal Internet yang disebut ARPAnet. Dalam projek itu, Postel juga berperan sebagai Post-Graduate Research Engineer.

Kontribusi pada Protokol Internet

Sepanjang masa kerjanya dalam projek ARPAnet, Postel banyak mempelajari dan mengembangkan protokol-protokol internet (internet protocol) dan standardisasi internet. Fokus Postel adalah tentang konektivitas data-data dalam jaringan (online).

Beberapa Kontribusi Penting Jon Postel

Seperti telah dijelaskan sebelumnya, Jon Postel memiliki fokus pada pengembangan protokol-protokol internet dan pengelolaannya. Ini semacam aturan main yang bisa menjadi salah satu faktor penting dalam membentuk internet hari ini. Berikut ini adalah beberapa contoh kontribusi darinya:

Penyusunan Protokol Internet: Postel adalah salah satu perancang utama protokol dasar yang digunakan dalam internet, termasuk Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) dan Internet Protocol (IP). Protokol ini membentuk dasar komunikasi dan pertukaran data di seluruh jaringan internet.
Sistem Pengalamatan Domain: Jon Postel juga berperan penting dalam pengembangan sistem alamat domain (DNS) yang digunakan untuk menghubungkan alamat IP numerik dengan nama domain yang mudah diingat, seperti www.example.com. DNS adalah bagian integral dari internet yang kita gunakan sehari-hari. Kita tidak lagi wajib mengingat angka-angka panjang untuk mengakses situs online. Kita cukup menggunakan domain.
RFC (Request for Comments): Postel adalah editor RFC pertama, yang merupakan serangkaian dokumen yang mendefinisikan berbagai standar, protokol, dan konsep yang digunakan dalam internet. RFC telah menjadi dasar untuk pengembangan dan implementasi teknologi internet.
Pengelola IANA: Jon Postel adalah pengelola pertama Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). Peran ini mencakup pengawasan dan pengelolaan penggunaan dan alokasi nomor dan parameter unik dalam internet, seperti nomor IP dan port TCP/UDP. Tugas ini memberinya pengaruh besar dalam memastikan koordinasi dan pengaturan internet.
Komitmen Terhadap Keamanan Internet: Postel selalu memperhatikan keamanan dan stabilitas internet.
Peran dalam Penyebaran Internet: Jon Postel memiliki peran penting dalam memastikan bahwa internet tumbuh dan berkembang secara terbuka dan terdesentralisasi, sehingga semua pihak dapat mengakses dan berkontribusi pada jaringan global ini.

Hukum Postel

Jon Postel juga dikenal dengan pemikiran dan prinsipnya yang unik. Salah satunya adalah mengenai Prinsip Kekuatan (Robustness Principle) yang juga dikenal sebagai Postel’s Law.

Postel menyatakan: "bersikap konservatif dalam tindakan yang Anda lakukan, bersikap liberal dalam menerima dari pihak lain." Terjemahan lain yang umum digunakan adalah: "bersikap konservatif dalam apa yang Anda kirimkan, bersikap liberal dalam apa yang Anda terima." Prinsip ini juga dikenal sebagai hukum Postel, dinamai setelah Jon Postel yang menggunakan pernyataan tersebut dalam spesifikasi awal TCP.

Dengan menggunakan prinsip di atas, program-program yang mengirim pesan ke mesin lain (atau ke program lain di mesin yang sama) seharusnya berusaha untuk sepenuhnya mengikuti spesifikasi, tetapi program-program yang menerima pesan seharusnya tetap menerima masukan yang tidak sesuai spesifikasi selama maknanya jelas.

Keberanian Jon Postel

Bukan hanya dikenal sebagai seorang ahli komputer yang sibuk di balik layar, Jon Postel juga punya semangat memperjuangkan nilai-nilai kemanusiaan dan kemerdekaan berekspresi. Semangatnya dibuktikan dalam keberaniannya menyampaikan protes ke pemerintah Amerika Serikat.

Konflik antara Jon Postel dengan Pemerintahan Amerika Serikat terkait internet terjadi pada tahun 1998. Konflik ini bermula dari perbedaan pendapat antara Postel dan pemerintah AS terkait pengelolaan internet.

Postel adalah seorang ilmuwan komputer yang berperan penting dalam pengembangan internet. Ia adalah Direktur Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), sebuah badan yang bertugas untuk mengelola alamat IP dan domain internet.

Pemerintah AS memiliki kepentingan untuk mengendalikan internet, terutama karena internet merupakan teknologi penting yang dapat digunakan untuk kepentingan militer dan keamanan nasional. Pemerintah AS khawatir bahwa jika internet tidak dikelola dengan baik, maka dapat menimbulkan ancaman bagi keamanan nasional.

Pada tahun 1998, pemerintah AS mengusulkan agar IANA di bawah kendali pemerintah AS. Postel menentang usulan ini. Ia berpendapat bahwa internet harus dikelola secara independen oleh komunitas internet.

Postel berargumen bahwa internet merupakan teknologi yang bersifat global dan tidak dapat dikendalikan oleh satu negara saja. Ia juga berpendapat bahwa pengelolaan internet secara independen akan menjamin kebebasan dan keterbukaan internet.

Konflik ini berlangsung selama beberapa bulan. Pada akhirnya, pemerintah AS memutuskan untuk menarik usulan tersebut. Hal ini disebabkan oleh tekanan dari komunitas internet yang mendukung Postel.

Perlu kita ketahui, konflik ini merupakan salah satu momen penting dalam sejarah internet. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa komunitas internet memiliki kekuatan untuk mempertahankan kebebasan dan keterbukaan internet dan Postel adalah salah satu bagian dari gerakan itu.

Berikut adalah beberapa poin perbedaan pendapat antara Postel dan pemerintah AS terkait pengelolaan internet:

Postel berpendapat bahwa internet harus dikelola secara independen oleh komunitas internet, sedangkan pemerintah AS berpendapat bahwa internet harus di bawah kendali pemerintah AS.
Postel berargumen bahwa internet merupakan teknologi yang bersifat global dan tidak dapat dikendalikan oleh satu negara saja, sedangkan pemerintah AS berpendapat bahwa internet merupakan teknologi yang penting untuk kepentingan militer dan keamanan nasional.
Postel berpendapat bahwa pengelolaan internet secara independen akan menjamin kebebasan dan keterbukaan internet, sedangkan pemerintah AS khawatir bahwa pengelolaan internet secara independen akan menimbulkan ancaman bagi keamanan nasional.

Konflik ini akhirnya diselesaikan dengan cara yang damai. Pemerintah AS menarik usulan tersebut dan internet tetap dikelola secara independen oleh komunitas internet.

Kejadian Menarik Selama Konflik

Pada suatu hari Januari tahun 1998, Jon Postel mengirimkan email kepada delapan dari 12 organisasi yang mengelola buku alamat seluruh internet (DNS). Ia memberi tahu mereka untuk mengonfigurasi ulang server komputer mereka sehingga mereka mengambil alamat tidak dari operasi yang didukung pemerintah di Herndon, Virginia, tetapi dari mesin di fasilitas komputasi yang ia bantu kelola di University of Southern California. Dan mereka melakukannya!

Menurut laporan berita pada saat itu, Postel melakukan perubahan tersebut tanpa persetujuan dari siapapun. Beberapa mengatakan itu hanya "ujian" yang dimaksudkan untuk menunjukkan bahwa infrastruktur direktori internet dapat diposisikan sesuai kebutuhan. Namun yang lain mengatakan bahwa Postel sedang menyampaikan pesan — bahwa ia mencoba menunjukkan kepada Gedung Putih bahwa mereka tidak dapat mengendalikan internet dari komunitas peneliti yang telah membangun dan merawat jaringan selama tiga dekade sebelumnya. Gedung Putih hanya beberapa hari lagi akan mengumumkan rencana untuk mengorganisasi ulang cara pengaturan sistem direktori internet.

Kepergian Jon Postel

Minggu, 16 Oktober 1998, setelah berjuang bertahun-tahun dalam sunyi untuk mengembangkan internet dan setelah berkali-kali melakukan operasi jantung serta setelah menyelesaikan perselisihannya dengan pemerintahan Amerika Serikat, Jonathan Bruce Postel akhirnya menghembuskan napas terakhir.

Postel wafat pada usia 55 tahun. Usia yang terbilang muda. Namun, dalam periode kehidupannya yang relatif singkat, Postel telah banyak memberikan kontribusi untuk pengembangan Internet hingga kita bisa nikmati seperti sekarang. Internet yang lebih terdesentralisasi. Internet untuk semua orang.

Sebulan berikutnya, sepeninggal Postel, beberapa orang yang menjadi pendukung beratnya melayangkan beberapa pesawat kertas ke udara sebagai bentuk terima kasih dan penghormatan untuk terakhir kalinya kepada sang Dewa Internet ini.

Sebagi penutup dari cerita nyata yang legendaris ini, saya cantumkan salah satu kutipan legendaris dari Jon Postel:

"Tentu saja, tidak ada yang namanya Dewa Internet. Internet bisa ada karena banyak orang mau bekerjasama untuk mengembangkannya."

Catatan: