Working more on my blockquotes, I found that Adrian Holovaty had developed a method to dynamically label blockquotes with css.

But it wasn’t quite good enough…

Then I found an even better method, using JavaScript, invented by Dunstan Orchard, and also implemented differently by Simon Willison and Paul Hammond.

I fiddled with it some more, rewrote slightly, and then used css to format the source line the way I liked it.

So now I think I’ve got it working. If I just include the cite element in the blockquote tag, the javascript should automatically grab it out, and make it a link at the end of the blockquote, if it’s a website, or just a text reference to the source if it’s not.

So let’s see if it works. Here’s a blockquote from a website:

Americans United for Separation of Church and State has filed freedom-of-information requests with education officials in Ohio and Montana to obtain detailed information about recent decisions to water down the teaching of evolution.

In Ohio, the church-state watchdog group is investigating the Department of Education’s approval of a lesson plan titled “A Critical Analysis of Evolution.” In an April 6 letter, Americans United asked Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Tave Zelman to provide copies of “all documents referring to or relating to” the development of the lesson plan.

AU attorneys have made a similar information request in Darby, Mont., where the school board recently voted to require science teachers to “assess evidence for and against” evolution.

Religious Right groups have launched a national crusade to weaken instruction about evolution in public schools because it conflicts with their interpretation of the Bible. The federal courts have barred the teaching of creationism in science classes, so these organizations are now urging educators to teach “intelligent design” and to offer evidence “for and against” evolution.

“If officials are changing the public school curriculum to conform to religious dogma, that’s clearly unconstitutional,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “Sound science education must not be sacrificed on the altar of religious zealotry.”

Or here’s one from a book:

The crowd had pushed to the west end of the platform as the ship swarmed up the mountain. Harriman had stayed where he was, nor had Dixon and Strong followed the crowd. The three were alone, Harriman most alone for he did not seem aware that the others were near him. He was watching the sky.
Strong was watching him. Presently Strong barely whispered to Dixon, “Do you read the Bible?”
“Some.”
“He looks as Moses must have looked, when he gazed out over the promised land.”
Harriman dropped his eyes from the sky and saw them. “You guys still here?” he said. “Come on-there’s work to be done.”