Google Chrome - A Glimpse of the Future?
Although it may not be apparent right now, Google Chrome may represent a serious turning point for the Internet, and the way that we interact with websites. Google Chrome is described as a "browser" but the media giant seems to be prepping users for something very different than your standard web brower.For one thing, it handles web page information more like applications than content. The example Google gives in its descriptive comic book is a JavaScript application. In a standard single-thread browser, the user cannot do anything until the JavaScript stops running and returns control back to the browser. But Google Chrome can handle what it calls "multi-threads" or, to take it one step further, multi-processes.
This is where things start to really get interesting. The most telling quote is this one: "We're applying the same kind of process isolation you find in modern operating systems" (emphasis ours). Yes, Chrome not only represents Google's first browser, but is also the forerunner of its first operating system. In fact, it seems it will be an operating system that will essentially integrate the Internet rather than have it running as a separate process. Our computers will become little more than a workstation on a global network.
In retrospect, this shouldn't be too surprising. Google has been preparing us for a 100% online world for quite a while now with things like Google Docs and Calendar. We were quite sure how that would work, but Chrome may just well be a glimpse of our online future.
So what does this mean for web designers? Will the website as we know it disappear? Perhaps. Websites of today look nothing like they did on Netscape Navigator 1.0. In another 15 years, websites will probably look just as different. But what hasn't (and what won't) change is the need for designers to build and maintain those sites. We may be doing it differently, but we'll still be doing it.
The DMXReady Team
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CMS Dress for Success!
Content Management Systems, or CMS, are very easy to use. That being said, your clients still might have a natural fear of the "technology" behind it. Yes, if they know Word and they know how to open a web browser, they will be able to update their content (using DMXReady applications, anyway -- we can't vouch for other systems!). But sometimes there will be a bit of hand-holding on your part to launch the CMS. Here are a few ways to make that easier:Go Through the CMS With Your Client
Walking your client through the CMS is the best way to get them familiar with the system. If you can do it in their office, all the better, but usually the CMS is user-friendly enough that simply walking through it over the phone will be enough. Make sure too that you point out the Help files. Once they've seen how the CMS works and know where they can get help, they will be much more comfortable going on their own.Create "Editable" Areas
Sometimes giving your client too much freedom is a bad thing. You want to make editing or even adding new pages as easy as possible. You can do this by making each web page "modular" with editable areas. For example, keep images the same size and at the same spot so your client simply has to replace it with their new image. Text is the same thing -- they can add/remove/change their own text in the same spot without disturbing the overall design.You can also save generic templates that they can copy so that anytime they want to add a new page, they have something to work from. This way they have the freedom of managing their own content without disturbing the main design.
Train the Eager Staff First
If your client has more than one person who will be using the CMS, go through it with the person who seems most eager to learn it. Not only will it be easier for to teach someone who wants to learn, but that person will most likely pick it up faster and be the person in the office that fields questions from the others -- taking some of this responsibility off your own shoulders.A CMS system is designed to make things easier for your client. But you have to remember that things that seem "obvious" to you may not be so obvious for a worker who is suspicious of technology. Fear, anxiety, even an unwillingness to learn will make it difficult sometimes. But once you push through that with your client, it will be easier for both of you in the long run.
The DMXReady Team
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Has Your Content Expired?
There is an interesting paradox on the Internet. On the one hand, it is absolutely the best medium to handle new content or "breaking news." You can have a volcano erupt somewhere in the South Pacific, and literally within seconds you can let millions of people around the world know about it.On the other hand, there are websites out there that have not changed their content since 1999, with their FrontPage 1.0 flashing text, moving flames, and psychedelic backgrounds. It's like a cyber time capsule, with little or no relevance to today.
This is an extreme example, but the fact is that many website owners do not keep their content as fresh as it could be. Yes, you can post something that happened a split-second ago. But this usually means getting someone who can upload the images and content. Most web owners do not have the capabilities to do that themselves.
But there is a way to empower website owners: Content Management Systems or CMS allow anyone with basic web skills to create and update their own content. Some systems, like DMXReady applications for example, are easy to install and will have the owner up and running in no time. Then all the website owner has to do is log in through any standard browser, and type new content, upload images and media, even plug in Web 2.0 applications for further functionality.
If you are a web designer, you should consider offering CMS to your clients. Not only does it give them the power to update their own content, but it can bring in more work for you through customizing and installing the software.
Take a look at some of our customizable CMS solutions including the new Online Notebook Manager. And make sure that your website doesn't become a time capsule as well!
The DMXReady Team
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Online Notebook Manager - A New Application From DMXReady!
As many of you know, yesterday was the official launch of DMXReady's Online Notebook Manager. This revolutionary product gives all sorts of people a powerful self-publishing tool, using the Internet to communicate to their colleagues, customers, and friends easily and effectively.We've come up with over a dozen uses for this software, from teaching syllabus to group work "tech notes" to employee manuals and help guides. In fact, the DMXReady team used it as a communication tool at one point during its development.
One of its strongest features is that people can use it to leverage other Web 2.0 applications. Once Online Notebook Manager is installed, you don't need HTML editors or FTP programs to add these Web 2.0 gadgets. All it takes to include your Google Calendar, for example, is to create a new page and embed the line of script that Google gives you. Now every change you make to your Google calendar will be automatically updated on that Notebook page!
Online Notebook Manager is also an important step for DMXReady. This app represents the "2.0" version of our applications. With a stronger architecture, more features like AJAX functionality, and a more streamlined approach, Online Notebook Manager is at the vanguard of the new wave of DMXReady applications.
Try out the demo for yourself, if you haven't already. And don't forget to drop us a note to tell us what you think!
The DMXReady Team
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Client Service: Get It In Writing
Too often web designers -- and many freelancers for that matter -- start work based on a verbal description of the project. Perhaps you chat on the phone or even face-to-face, and the client gives you an outline of what he or she wants from the website.The problem is, two weeks later when you deliver the first review, the client says "No, no, I want it like this." You can argue all you want (actually, not a great idea...) but the fact of the matter is that you have nothing in writing in front of you to prove one way or another what you had verbally "agreed" upon. And it is not uncommon for the client to forget everything you talked about in that first meeting.
This can mean more work for you (unpaid, if you are working for a project fee), and it can lead to bad feelings and perhaps even a lost contract.
Get it in writing. After a meeting, jot down some notes -- almost like the meeting minutes -- and email your client, along with any other project participants. This way, you are all on the same page. And in two weeks when the client says they need something different, you can at least you have proof of the original specs in writing. Either it will jog the client's memory about the original project, or you'll have a solid basis for charging extra hours to make the changes.
The DMXReady Team
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What Designers Need to Know About CMS
It is clear that Content Management Systems or CMS is the wave of the future. It is almost inevitable that a system be devised that allows non-tech users to update their own content.Unfortunately, many web designers are suspicious of CMS, and see it as a threat to their livelihood. Although CMS may change the way we design websites, it will never replace us. Here are three reasons why:
Website Owners Will Still Need Designers to Design the Site
CMS has more to do with Webmastering than web design. This may be obvious when you say it out loud like that, but if more designers focused on this, there would be less stress about CMS systems.CMS allows content owners to update their own content, but the basic web design still has to be put into place. That includes the site architecture, the graphics, the link structure, and all those other website goodies that only a web designer can provide.
Do You Really Want to Be a Webmaster Anyway?
We have all gotten those calls: "I just need one little change..." Yes, it only takes 10 minutes to fire up Dreamweaver, make the change, and upload to the server. Hardly even worth billing, is it? But those 10-minute jobs add up quickly, leaving web designers frustrated and underpaid.With a CMS system, your clients can make that own little change themselves. Less hassle for you, and a greater sense of empowerment for your clients. Everyone wins!
You Can Provide the CMS
DMXReady encourages web designers to sell their clients on CMS to cut back on the unpaid Webmastering, as well as the fact that you can increase your income by installing the CMS system.Let's face it, many of your clients could figure out how to upload an application to their website. But they likely don't want to, and probably don't have the time to do it if they did. They want a "ready-to-go" system that is as easy and painless to use as possible. And they would rather spend the money to get it done professionally than spend the time to figure it out themselves.
The DMXReady Advantage
DMXReady gives you one more crucial advantage -- the flexibility to create your own customized solutions for your clients. Not only are CMS approaches like WordPress and Drupal very specialized, you need a lot of programming experience to make them do what you want to do -- or hope that the right plug-in is out there.It is much easier to change the HTML and code in ASP, so that you have more control over what you can modify. This leads to a more tailored solution for your clients (not to mention more money in your pockets!)
CMS may certainly be the wave of the future. Embrace that future, and make it yours!
The DMXReady Team
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Why You Should Leave Comments in Your Code
Commenting on your coding is almost as old as the computer. Even back in the Commodore PET computer days, you could leave comments in your BASIC code to let other programmers (or remind yourself) the function of each section of code.This is perhaps even more important today, especially for the beginner ASP programmer.
One of the most difficult parts of programming is the debugging phase. As many programmers know, all it takes is one mistake and your whole page can stop working. You need to be able to go back to the code and logically find out what is not working properly.
By leaving detailed comments to yourself, you will be able to track the additions/changes that you made, and make it much easier to find the problem.
Commenting also helps in the future when it is time to modify the script to make changes or to modify for a different usage. You will quickly forget what parts of the code do what; months later, you will likely forget much of your coding. Comments will help jog your memory and ultimately help you make those changes faster.
Happy Scripting!
The DMXReady Team
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Smash and Grab Photoshop Tips
As web designers, we come across a lot of resources about web design, css, programming, and more. But what about graphic design? Learning how to create those building blocks (i.e. photos and images) is just as important as putting them together.We've come across some good resources for those looking for some great Photoshop tips.
PhotoshopStar.com - A collection of links and tutorials designed to help you inprove your Photoshop techniques.
Photoshop Roadmap - Links with short descriptions -- some neat info here!
Smashing Magazine - Best Of - Great list -- check out the tutorial on making your images look like a minature model!
Absolute Cross - Some good tips on creating buttons and other graphical images.
Got a favorite of your own? Let us know by leaving us a comment, or dropping us a line!
Happy Photoshopping,
The DMXReady Team
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A Great Resource for the ASP Beginner
The great thing about ASP is that anybody can learn it. In fact, compared to PHP, ASP.Net, and other languages, it is almost a breeze.
To prove that point, we've found a great resource for the beginner ASP programmer. ASP Programming for the Absolute Beginner, as the name suggests, gives you all the background you need. It is also good for the ASP programmer who knows how to do it, but has always been curious about the behind-the-scenes mechanics.
Rather than direct you to a link, we've embedded the iPaper here for you:
Happy Reading!
The DMXReady Team
To prove that point, we've found a great resource for the beginner ASP programmer. ASP Programming for the Absolute Beginner, as the name suggests, gives you all the background you need. It is also good for the ASP programmer who knows how to do it, but has always been curious about the behind-the-scenes mechanics.
Rather than direct you to a link, we've embedded the iPaper here for you:
Happy Reading!
The DMXReady Team
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Supercharge Your ASP!
One of the great things about ASP is its compatibility with other scripting languages. AJAX, for example, works extremely well in an ASP environment. This blend of JavaScript and XML makes for some nifty web apps.
Miniajax.com is a place where you can download several of these applications for free to supercharge your own website: These pint-size apps can do some amazing things from finding out where visitors are clicking on your web page to creating image reflections, building fisheye nav bars, and more.
Miniajax.com is a place where you can download several of these applications for free to supercharge your own website: These pint-size apps can do some amazing things from finding out where visitors are clicking on your web page to creating image reflections, building fisheye nav bars, and more.
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