https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/090523_molly_holzschlag/tucsons-molly-holzschlag-known-as-the-fairy-godmother-web-dead-60/ TucsonSentinel.com Now Reading Tucson's Molly Holzschlag, known as 'the fairy godmother of the web,' dead at 60 Sign up for WATCHDOG UPDATE newsletters! TucsonSentinel.com front page * Skip to content * Contact * Business Sponsorships * Donate/Support TucsonSentinel.com a smarter Tucson is a better Tucson Sign up for WATCHDOG UPDATE newsletters! * 1:03pm -- September 06, 2023 * Front Page * Breaking * Local * Border * Opinion * Arts & Ent * Sports * Nation/World * En espanol * [ Search... ] + All Headlines + Contact + About + Ethics + What we stand for + Advisory Council + Donate now + Underwriting/Sponsorships + Sign up for newsletters! + Breaking News + Arizona + Border + Crime + Politics & Gov't + All Local + Arizona + Border + Biz + Crime + Education + Enviro + Media + Politics & Gov't + Tech + Espanol + All Headlines + Arizona + Politics & Gov't + Mexico/Latin America + Espanol + Analysis + Editorial Cartoons + Guest Opinion + From the Editor + What The Devil Won't Tell You + Tucson Agenda + All Arts, Culture & Entertainment + Music + Dance + Theatre & Stage + Classical + Visual Arts + Books + History + Food + Celebs/Pop Culture + All Nation/World + Border + Mexico/Latin America + Politics & Gov't + Media + Tech + Enviro + Health + Business + War + Weird + All Sports + Soccer + Baseball + Basketball + Football + Softball + High School + College + Pro + Todos en espanol local news Obituary Tucson's Molly Holzschlag, known as 'the fairy godmother of the web,' dead at 60 Pioneer of online design & accessibility Posted Sep 5, 2023, 5:17 pm Dylan Smith TucsonSentinel.com Previous Slide<[?] Next Slide>[?] + Internet pioneer Molly Holzschlag via FacebookInternet pioneer Molly Holzschlag + Holzschlag speaking in 2009 at a Future of Web Design conference in New York City. Jake Przespo/FlickrHolzschlag speaking in 2009 at a Future of Web Design conference in New York City. + [molly35777] via Facebook [flipboard_] [watchdogbu] [flipboard_] [watchdogbu] Molly Holzschlag, whose pioneering work in online design standards led to her being dubbed "the fairy godmother of the web," has died at age 60. Holzschlag, a longtime Tucson resident, dealt with a series of illnesses over the past decade, including being diagnosed with aplastic anemia. She was found dead Tuesday at her home, family said. She was a prolific author and regular speaker about the "open web," advocating for accessible and inclusive online design standards. Also known as "mollydotcom" after her eponymous site that was one of the first blogs, she wrote or co-wrote more than 30 books, and before falling ill she was frequently appearing on Internet conference stages around the world. "Molly has changed the world several times over," said the organizers of a 2013 GoFundMe effort that raised more than $70,000 to support Holzschlag while she underwent chemotherapy. Holzschlag, who reported on music for the Tucson Weekly in the 1990s, founded Open Web Camp, a Silicon Valley event that ran from 2009-2013, and was a leader of the Web Standards Project in the years before that. That group successfully pushed browser developers, including Microsoft, Opera and Netscape, to adopt web standards. More than once, she challenged Bill Gates face-to-face to fix problems with Internet Explorer. She was an "invited expert" on the CSS Working Group of the World Wide Web Consortium, the body that determines the standards that run the Internet. She also served on the W3C HTML and GEO working groups. She was steadfast in her insistence that the World Wide Web be usable by disabled people, including sites being able to be parsed by screenreader technology for people with impaired vision. Filed under news, family/life, media & journalism, history, sci/tech, local, arizona, breaking, Read more about internet, obituaries, More by Dylan Smith + Songs for Labor Day: Union tunes & working man blues [commentico] + Final results: Tucson Democratic incumbents rack up Council primary wins[commentico] + Man dies after being held at Pima jail; 2 inmates commit suicide at Tucson prison[commentico] + Trump indicted on 4 counts related to 'conspiracy to subvert' 2020 election[commentico] + Photos: Nintzel's 'unretirement party'; return to reporting at Tucson Sentinel[commentico] + More stories >> -- 30 -- Top headlines Previous Slide<[?] Next Slide>[?] + Headline Wadsack recall effort fizzles Supporters of an effort to recall Arizona Sen. 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His career led him to publishing his first "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" story in May 2023. Read more>> [commentico] + Headline Afro-futurism & the spirit of the Panther: Christopher Priest at Tucson Comic-Con For more than four decades, comic-book writer and ordained Baptist priest Christopher Priest has witnessed the evolution of the stories of characters such as Batman, Superman, Black Panther and more. Read more>> [commentico] + Headline Volunteers spring to survey water in Patagonia Mountains before mine begins pumping Australian mining company South32 say they'll begin pumping groundwater and discharging it into the Patagonia Mountains any day now. Sarah Truebe wants to establish a baseline survey of the area's springs before they possibly change forever. Read more>> [commentico] + Headline Slither & bound: Rattlesnakes & toads get busy during Arizona's monsoon This summer's monsoon has been active across Arizona, bringing violent winds, torrential rain and flash floods - and also rattlesnakes and toads, who are active now because monsoons determine when they reproduce. Read more>> [commentico] More by Dylan Smith + Songs for Labor Day: Union tunes & working man blues [commentico] + Final results: Tucson Democratic incumbents rack up Council primary wins[commentico] + Man dies after being held at Pima jail; 2 inmates commit suicide at Tucson prison[commentico] + Trump indicted on 4 counts related to 'conspiracy to subvert' 2020 election[commentico] + Photos: Nintzel's 'unretirement party'; return to reporting at Tucson Sentinel[commentico] + More stories >> We need your help. Unlike most news outlets, the Tucson Sentinel publishes our stories without a paywall. 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