WebCamp One Blog

Right brain vs Left brain

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:53:14 -0400

There's an ongoing debate among creators of websites as to the usefulness of WYSIWYG editors. Some say that such tools are all that a 'designer' needs and that it's counterproductive to force them to think like a programmer. Others disagree. Here's my take on the issue.

I think that it's a mistake to separate 'designers' and 'coders' when it comes to creating websites. Sure, there are hard-core graphic designers just as there are hard-core programmers (coders,) but surely these days most fall somewhere in-between.

Speaking for myself, when I sit down to create a client's website, it's rare that I know what it's going to look like when I'm finished. I treat the browser as a canvas of sorts-- then begin to 'paint' my picture using code. A strong knowledge of CSS and a good understanding of semantics and about how to use HTML to mark up content so that it makes sense is all one needs to begin the process. As things progress and the site beings to take shape, other technologies will necessarily come into play and that, of course, requires a bit more technical knowledge.

Designers vs Programmers --- right brain vs left brain. Creating websites is an exercise for the whole brain; much more so than most people might think. An understanding of one's 'tools' is imperative if one is to become a master at anything in life. WYSIWYG editors, by their very nature, hide the complexities of the languages from the user. Relying on them, however, to generate streamlined, cross-browser compliant code nearly guarantees frustration for the user. Some understanding of the tools of the trade (raw HTML, CSS, browsers and the DOM) is just as necessary as an understanding of color, space, typography, etc. for any graphic designer who wants to add the title 'web designer' to their list of skills.

New Website, RiverHouseBlues.com, goes live today!

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:30:24 -0400

We were asked to sponsor a local event put on by Dancing Beagle of Berryville, VA that will benefit our local Boys & Girls Club. Since it's for such a good cause we agreed. The website, coded in HTML5, was made live today and can be found at www.riverhouseblues.com.

Taking Pride in Your Work

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:28:40 -0400

Today, on a well-known social / business site, I observed a 'conversation' taking place among some web developers. The debate was whether or not code that validates against W3C standards helps a website in the search rankings. It seemed to me that if it didn't, then those having the debate would be perfectly OK with ignoring the standards altogether. To them, sloppy code didn't mean anything. If they could figure out a way to make a website more popular in the search rankings (see my SEO section about 'black hats') then that's all that matters.

I disagree. Clean, well-formed code that validates against the standards shouldn't be something that's 'nice to have' if you can get it, but instead should be a design goal right from the start. We, as designers and developers, spend a lot of time bemoaning the fact that browser manufacturers can't seem to 'get it together' and create browsers that similarly conform to the W3C standards. It should be noted, however, that with each new release, browsers are all getting better at interpreting the standards. But we've still got a way to go.

What would happen if those same browser manufacturers started to feel that nobody really cares about standards; that the whole exercise is meaningless? Ugh, I don't even want to think about it.

It should be pointed out that these folks who were debating, and who came to the conclusion that adherence to standards is "for your own inner satisfaction" and that "Google doesn't do anything with it" are the same coders who companies run to when they want to outsource their web development to those who promise that they'll do it cheap and fast.

Writing for Care2

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:26:40 -0400

Many know that Ann writes for the 'Causes' and 'Healthy & Green' sections of Care2, one of the largest sites on the web. Ann likes the way I write, so she's been asking me if I'd like to take a shot at penning a post on Care2. After thinking about it, I thought, "Why the hell not?," contacted the folks at Care2, and we agreed to give it a try... at least once to see how it works out.

I decided to tackle the rather strange subject of violence against Census workers. I figured that I'd keep it somewhat light first time out of the box. Of course, if they decide they want more, who knows what will happen? You can read the post on Care2 if you like.

New site goes Live! Magpies Pizza.

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 15:12:14 -0400

Today, on behalf of Co-op Web, we launched a new website for Magpies Pizza, a well-known pizza chain headquartered in Tucson, AZ. WebCamp One was contracted to create the Joomla! template used to display this website as well as to do all the back-end setup within Joomla!

Magie Pizza's website is at: http://www.magpiespizza.com/

DON'T "Do it yourself"

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:52:45 -0400

TheLadders.com published an article by William Arruda, a personal-branding consultant, titled "Ten Ways to Wreck your Personal Brand" in which there was much truth. In writing about ways to promote yourself and cultivate a professional 'brand,' Arruda writes, "If it’s really important to you, invest in the right resources — career coaches, resume-writing services, Web designers, video producers and more. Sure, there are costs involved in these services; but what’s the cost to you of damaging your reputation with poor-quality copy, images and video?"

OpenOffice for Kids!

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:48:22 -0400

Do you have young children? Do they like the computer, but find some programs intimidating or just not kid-friendly? If so, take a look at OOo4Kids, a kid-friendly (7-12yrs) version of OpenOffice. In the words of its developer, "The idea is to provide a 7-12 years software, based on OpenOffice.org source code, say, extremely simplified.

Sounds like a great idea -- and a great way to pique your childrens' interest without turning them off with unnecessary complexities. The program is open-source (free,) but the developer accepts donations that are then contributed back to the OpenOffice Project.

OOo4Kids runs under Windows, Mac, and Linux and can be downloaded from EducOO.org.

New Shopping Mall Website Goes Live

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:55:30 -0500

Acting as a subcontractor for an Arizona web design firm, I took their graphic design and coded a new website for Gilbert Town Square, an upscale shopping mall in Gilbert, AZ. The site went live today.

http://www.gilberttownsquare.com/

Google to end support for Internet Explorer version 6 browser

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:42:02 -0500

PC World announced today that Google will stop supporting Microsoft's IE6 (Internet Explorer version 6) browser come this March.

A Google representative suggested that customers upgrade to Internet Explorer 7, Mozilla Firefox 3.0, Google Chrome 4.0 or Safari 3.0, or more recent versions of those browsers.

This is very good news folks. We've been trying to get our clients to stop using IE6 for years. The browser has incredible problems -- most notably it normally requires special workaround code to force it to display web pages the same way as its older brothers, IE7 and IE8. If you like using Microsoft products for some reason, then upgrade to IE8. It's a lot better. Forget upgrading to IE7 like the Google rep says. Go straight to IE8. Better yet, try Firefox, Apple's Safari, or Google's new Chrome, although that one might take a little getting used to for some folks.

Heading For Third

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:53:52 -0500

Imagine life as a baseball diamond. Childhood, early family life, school daze -- all of this helps get you out of the batter's box and onto 1st base. Your 20's and 30's find you running like hell for 2nd where you stop to catch your breath, turning 40 before beginning the run towards 3rd.

Off to the side, home base catches your attention. It seems to be a lot closer than it was not long ago. You begin to sense that you may have missed something -- that there is more to see and do before you plant your feet on home. There's a rustling in the stillness of your life. You can't quite determine its source, but you also can't ignore it. Finally, you ask yourself, "What if...?"