An earlier article on this site demonstrated how to use the HTML5 <dialog> element to create easy “lightbox” UI. A few of my web development students are trying to take the pattern further by placing large sections of content in the <dialog>, but are experiencing a few problems in doing so. I thought I’d use the opportunity to update the script, and show how it can be used in a way to progressively enhance page content.
Sossusvlei salt pan, Namib Desert
One of the harshest and most unforgiving environments on Earth, the Sossusvlei is in the southern part of the Namib Desert, in the African nation of Namibia. Surrounded by high red dunes, the Sossusvlei literally translates as "dead-end marsh", i.e., a drainage area with no outflows. These geographical conditions have created a surreal landscape, making it a popular destination for both tourists and film units: key scenes of The Cell and The Fall were shot here.
Breiðamerkursandur, Iceland
Breiðamerkursandur is a black sand beach on the southwest coast of Iceland, adjoining an outwash plain near the glacial lagoon of Jökulsárlón. Every spring and summer ice calving from the tongue of the glacier falls into the Atlantic and is swept out to sea before being returned to the beach, smoothed into sculptured shapes by the waves. Jökulsárlón has been the setting for four Hollywood movies, including A View to a Kill, Die Another Day, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Batman Begins.
