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Sausage Sizzler - Webmaster Community Newsletter |
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G'Day Sizzlers!
It is going to be a hectic ten days for me. I am off to Seattle, San Francisco and Victoria, Canada. Along with meeting with business partners, I will also be installing a new server in our San Francisco server location. Hopefully this will add some speed, reliability and data security to our set-up.
This is all great for our customers (like you) because it means we are moving forward. Yes it is taking a bit longer than we would have liked, but shortly we will be offering some new products and services. I mentioned hosting last week, this looks like being officially launched in early August it will be run by someone a lot of you may have dealt with before, Damian Marken, the former Customer Support Manager. He is keen to turn Sausage Hosting into a well known and run hosting company. This also means that Sausage is one step closer to providing all of your webmaster needs.
Note that during the server installation, I will also be upgrading the OS on the forum server, so you may notice the Sizzler Forums go offline for a while sometime between the 23rd and 28th (more likely around the 23rd).
A quick editorial is a good one, especially when I have to pack and get organized for my trip which starts tomorrow.
Keep on sizzling!
Nathan Allan
Sausage Sizzler Editor
editor@sausage.com
sendcard v3 PHP FREE
http://sendcard.resource-locator.com/
This is a great script that allows you to have 'postcards' on your web site for users to send to their friends. This is a great little marketing trick if you include your domain on the images.
This script in particular is feature laden with too many features to mention here, however let me run over some of them:
- Adminstration console
- Support for JPEG, GIF, PNG, Java, Flash and Quicktime cards
- Emoticons
- Multiple recipients
- Optional music, background, font and font color
- Scheduling of cards
- Support for 9 databases
Best of all the creator has a great site that supports his product. Everything from FAQs to a support forum! you can almost be certain that you will get this script working with all this help!
Review by Nathan
Revolving Tips and Interviews
It seems that you all have enjoyed the HTML Basics section, and that you would like to move on to some harder stuff. To be honest the ins and outs of HTML are not my best foil, so when I am sent a topic or question on HTML or Web programming in general I will present it to the forums for comment. I can then edit and post a more comprehensive answer to your question or topic.
The other suggestion was to try and obtain interviews with notable people in the industry. A popular suggestion was that we start with the Sausage Staff. I like this as it will give you an insight into our philosophy and work ethic. I also thought we could add profiles from the forum users, which would give you a look at just how much can be done with HotDog, and who is using it.
Although most of you seem to like to email me directly feel free to add to the discussion in the forums:
http://www.sizzlerforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=601
Tip by Nathan
TextBridge Pro v11 95/98/2000/ME/NT US$79.99
http://www.scansoft.com/textbridge/home/
How many times have you been dumped with a load of copy that you client did not have in a digital format? Besides being time consuming and adding a somewhat boring element to your site building process, it can be added cost to the project, that the client does not comprehend. In my experience the client does not see what is 'so hard' in getting the copy into the web site.
Luckily we have OCR software to save some time.
I was lucky enough to get TextBridge v8.0 bundled with my scanner (US$30), so for less than the price of the latest version of the software I have fantastic OCR capabilities, with albeit an older version. I have found that scans are fast and accurate 80% of the time. It was the dual column text that really confused the software. Although this can be overcome by scanning one column at a time.
This is a good little product that is a bonus when you are buying scanner that comes with it, and something to consider if you already have a scanner and are not happy with you OCR software.
Review by Nathan
Is CSS worth Learning: Revisited
Over the past 2 months at least many newbies have joined the forums. Many of them have asked various questions about the use of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). The topic was recently revisited and I figured I'd do the same.
The value of CSS? Priceless. Worth learning? Absolutely.
CSS offers a plethora of abilities, features and functions. One of the best things it can do is font control. One person posted a good point. On sites of enormous size changing one style in one external file affects an entire site. What is enormous? 3000 pages, or perhaps CNN.com. The following is copied directly from their source code:
(<link rel="StyleSheet" href="http://i.cnn.net/cnn/virtual/2001/style/main.css" type="text/css">)
For any of you newbies, click this link to download their style sheet and snoop. I learned by doing the same with lots of other sites.
http://i.cnn.net/cnn/virtual/2001/style/main.css
Finally, I arrive at the point I truly wanted to make. Many people learn from reading a book first, then playing. I prefer to play with software or methods then read, and then go play some more. One of the best ways to learn is while you read. For that reason I'd like to recommend some great software. I've recommended it in the past, but the newest version has come out and it does some great things.
Have a look and trust me, there is a lot to learn from this application.
http://www.bradsoft.com/topstyle/index.asp
Review by Bram
Your attention, please.
Hi all,
I've put a hold on pursuing this list. There have been great discussions and debates about what should or shouldn't be in this list; what matters and how much.
There is one thing that's missing. How interested people are in reviewing sites with me every week or every other week, based on parts or all of the list.
Please vote:
http://www.sizzlerforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=649
1. Load time
2. Browser Compatibility (W3C)
3. Color usage
4. Page layout
5. Nagviation
6. Overall Design
7. Use of images and text, and the balance
8. Accesibilty
9. Use of frames
10. iFrames
11. CSS, JavaScript, and DHTML
12. Site Interactivity
13. Copyright Infringement
14. Grammar and Spelling
15. A well-defined objective of this site
16. Searchability
Discuss with Bram
Web design: Full time job or moonlight hobby?
I often wonder if Im as unique as I feel. I don't mean that in a pompous "Im the best designer" way. I mean it more in the way I describe below.
I love to design. Ive always loved being creative. Ive been drawing since I was 3 and creating things with a computer since I was 15 (Im 31 now). Back then it was trucks and architectural drawings. Now its web sites, logos, print material and more.
In recent years Ive come to realize that as much as I love design, Im very "hungry" in a business sense. I have a driving goal and desire to be the President or CEO and make my company thrive. I want to make killer deals and enjoy the fruits of my hard labor. I read Business Week, Business2.0 and Fortune. Ive gotten to be a Chief-level officer of a company, Ive made strong acquaintances with CEOs and upper level management folk worldwide, and Ive even managed to impress more than one wealthy investor.
With all of this, I also receive a variety of design-oriented newsletters (in HTML format) and constantly work to learn new software to better my skills.
The past year+ has shown me that its the executive level crowd that not only makes the money but also enjoys what I consider to be a thrill of managing, making key decisions that can make or break successful business.
Whats happened in the past year? Following one of my passions, to design all day and night, I have come to realize that one quickly becomes a slave. Customers have reasons why my hard work isn't worth what I think its worth. The same customers make change after change to core design components, not understanding the amount of work involved, and not wanting to pay for my time to do the work. This one is rare, but regardless it is quite frustrating.
It seems that while the Internet is surely a necessary tool and in many cases the sole point of sale for ones business, the small business customer sees little value or has little budget for a web site. For the low price this customer is willing to pay, they expect the world on a silver platter.
This sounds very negative and I suppose Im venting a bit. Ive owned 3 businesses in the past 7 years. My first was an import/export business that succeeded and failed. My second, a dot-com, still runs, was heavily invested into and may actually turn a healthy profit in under a year. My third, well, this was the "design as a service" business. The business is still running, but I have left it with my now ex-partner so that I may pursue other, more business/sales oriented options.
There is a point to this ramble. Im a workaholic. I get up at 4:30am daily for the gym, I get to the office by 7am+/- and I work with only bathroom breaks or meeting breaks until 6pm. I get home, have dinner and after the kids are sleeping Im getting myself ready for tomorrow with scheduling, planning, research, etc. I have no problem doing endless hours of work because I have one goal. $ucce$$.
I asked a question as a title: Web design: Full time job or moonlight hobby?
Working as a partner in a slow-growing design firm, I grew increasingly frustrated when customers would expect more for the same price. Change after change after change, revision after revision.
At the end of many long days, some which I missed putting my kids to bed, I began to question what I was doing. Did I really love design THAT much? Yes, I did, and I do. Was I sure that working as a designer, even for my own company, was my life-long, dream? No. I was not.
I have set goals for myself; goals that I feel are realistic. The one hole in my plan to reaching these goals was a simple fact, at least in my market or perhaps the current economy. Design does not pay. Of course it pays something, but not what I want.
I suppose some might say that Im not a "real" designer or artist because I don't create just for creativity sake. Others might say that its good to be hungry and want more, to be driven.
This is why I asked how many others are like me? How many others love two things, wanting to succeed but realizing that the success may lie down only one of 2 different paths. The goals I have set for myself seem to be unreachable with design as a full time job.
So I wonder, is design a full time job to base ones living on or perhaps a moonlight hobby that one does for creative outlet and little bit of extra money each month?
I suppose the answer is much different if you work as an employee of a design firm. The reason people go into business for themselves, though, is for the greater reward. Part of my hunger is to never stop trying to find that thing that will be a success.
This has turned out to be a very heavy ramble, but one that is heartfelt. If you haven't picked up yet, its filled with much frustration and disappointment.
To end this ramble on a positive note, everything that I have experienced has taught me something and I have no regrets. Ive made grand accomplishments and had some failures.
My next go-round will see me testing the waters as a moonlighter. Ill keep you posted.
http://www.sizzlerforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=653
Discuss your experiences with Bram
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