FAQ: The Future

Q: Is LINMO complete, or is it still evolving?

A: Both the model and the guidelines are still being refined. One of the things that will help shape them is the further experience obtained from The Linux Information Project (LINFO) and from other web sites that attempt to conform to the model (including this one). LINFO is the first large-scale web site that is mostly LINMO compliant.

Q: What remains to be done?

A: They are several known topics that need closer examination. These include interaction among multiple LINMO-compatible sites and foreign language translations. And it is possible that additional issues will arise. However, the various issues are being tackled systematically, and pages describing them will gradually be added to this site.

Q: What are the other guidelines that will be added?

A: They include coding, colors, columns, content management systems, definitions, exceptions, footnotes, images, indexes, internationalization, legal issues, metadata, navigation, page revision, quality control, search engine optimization, search mechanisms, spin-off sites and sponsor pages.

Q: Is it realistic to expect to see more web sites developed according to this model in the near future?

A: It is possible, but it might take a few years. This is in part because it will require some time for the model to become widely known and for people to see its advantages. It also takes time to plan and begin such projects.

Q: Because the guidelines are not yet complete, is it premature to begin developing other sites that conform to the model?

A: Not necessarily. The existing sets of guidelines will continue to be refined, and new ones will be added in the coming months. Thus, it is definitely not too early to at least start thinking about topics and creating test pages.

Q: Should something be done to promote the development of additional LINMO-compatible sites, and, if so, what?

A: The first, and perhaps the most important, steps are already in progress. They are creating an initial, highly successful example (i.e., LINFO) and providing a set of general guidelines. A next step is to explore ways to actively promote the development of such sites.

Q: Could a hard copy book be created from a LINMO-compatible website? And, if so, why might it be desirable?

A: Yes, it could. However, there would obviously be some disadvantages for a hard copy (i.e., printed on paper) version as compared to the web version, particularly the lack of hyperlinks and their important benefits, the facts that it would be much heavier and more expensive, and the difficulty of updating and expanding it. Yet, creation of a hard copy version could be desirable because of the fact that there is a substantial number of people that like to own traditional printed books. Moreover, publishing such a book could also become a source of revenue to help cover the cost of web site development.

Q: What are the prospects for publishing or accessing LINMO-compatible web sites on some other type of media?

A: This is one of the features of the LINMO guidelines. That is, they are designed to help make the content portable to other kinds of devices and media. One of the most obvious is audio media, which would be of great use both to people with impaired vision and people who find it easier or more convenient to learn aurally rather than by reading. One way in which the guidelines facilitate this is the emphasis on explaining everything clearly in words so that it is understandable by visually impaired people. Another way is through the elimination of all unnecessary clutter on pages, thereby facilitating both the automated conversion into audio formats and the display on handheld devices with small screens.

Q: Books printed on paper can survive for hundreds of years. How long could a web project of this type survive?

A: This is completely unknown because it is impossible to predict future advances in technology or collapses of civilizations. However, LINMO-compatible content is very flexible because of its simplicity, including the fact that it is text-based, and is thus likely quite suitable for use long into the future as the web continues to evolve and new generations of technology emerge.

Perhaps the most important factors in long-term survival are that LINMO-compatible web sites are focused on developing high quality content that is useful to large numbers of people and that is easy to update. Such sites, or at least their content, will likely continue to exist for much longer than will sites that have little content, even if they only survive in some primitive form such as printouts on paper.