Stefan Mischook
June 5, 2014
Hi,
Web development can be an exciting game but it is also all-consuming – you cannot casually code. You cannot casually write good software while listening to tunes. You must be 100% there or your code will suck. Burnt-out developers are not uncommon … and I was one.
How to Burn Yourself Out
I loved to write software, it was something I would do even on Friday nights! It sounds really bad now but at the time, exploring a new Java library or building out a new module to some app, was exciting to me. The weekdays were for writing commercial code and the weekend was for playing with new code.
I still remember seeing the first members on my dating site posting profiles and sending messages. It was great fun. You start with few messages here and there being exchanged, then hundreds and (to my amazement) soon thousands!
… I eventually shuttered that growing dating site because I was not interested in making big money with it; it was just a hobby site for me, a vehicle to learn with. Maybe I should have left it running!? I think all the swingers posting profiles on there made me shut it down … not sure now, it’s been 15yrs.
I could tell you about many other similar projects/sites … but I think you get the idea.
The burnout Formula
You get burnt-out when you go too deep, too long and too fast into something. After years of code, code and more code … I was burnt. So for several years after, I did everything/anything but technology. It was sometimes almost painful for me to even pay attention to KillerSites, KillerPHP or any of the other sites/communities/apps I developed. The people were great but I just didn’t care what was going on in the tech world.
Interest slowly builds again
I don’t know why but starting a few years ago, my interest in technology slowly started coming back. Slowly. Psychology is a strange thing and any number of hidden variables can play into your mood. So for whatever reason(s), my interest is coming back and for the first time in years, I find myself learning a new language … it just seems like fun to me again.
Stefan Mischook
Killersites.com
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June 4, 2014
Hi,
I think Apple’s Swift programming language will quickly become one of the most important languages you can learn. Besides being the language of MacOSX, you can use Swift to swiftly create iOS (iPad, iPhone) games among other apps.
… Did I mention games!!
iPad will become the Gaming Platform
I think iPad and gaming will become one. Consider these facts:
- Already major gaming companies are porting complete games to iOS.
- There are new games that now play on both consoles like PS4 as well as the iPad. So now you can play online vs people who are on their PS4, while you are on the iPad.
- Some of the most popular games in the world are on mobile only – Ipad being dominate.
What makes Swift Special?
Swift was announced about 2 days ago and I just installed the beta yesterday … so I’ve only just written a bit of Swift code so far. That said, it looks like a powerful language that writes like a nimble scripting language – reminds me of Python.
What makes Swift special is found in it’s namesake – it’s fast, easy to learn and easy to write. Apple claims Swift runs much faster than Objective C and especially Python.
Swift Playground
Along with the Swift language, Apple created an app that allows you to view your code working in real-time, this application is called Playground and it comes with the iOS SDK and Xcode. You can learn more here:
https://developer.apple.com/xcode/
https://developer.apple.com/devcenter/ios/index.action
I just started looking at Swift and I plan to dive much deeper into it.
Stefan Mischook
killerSites.com
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May 18, 2014
Hi,
About once a year we run a deal with Fatcow hosting, where Fatcow will pay for 80% of your web programming training and slash 60% of your hosting cost!
Why?
They hope that you will renew next year.
Some details:
Basically, you have to cough-up $23.15 (one time) + $3.15/month (60% discount from their normal price) for the first year of hosting. You are not obliged to renew. This deal gets you the hosting package + the Complete Web Programmer package – this normally goes for $99.
If you want to learn web development, this is as good a deal as you can get!
Check out out:
http://www.killervideostore.com/killer-offers/
Thanks!
Stefan Mischook
killerSites.com
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April 24, 2014
Hi!
This blog post is for teachers teaching web design and programming … but if you are learning HTML and CSS (or any other language) many of these tips will be helpful to you too.
Let’s start with a teaser:
1. Start with an Easy Language:
Don’t use hard to understand languages like Java, C#, C++ to teach beginners programming or code! Stick to simpler languages like  HTML and CSS and then move to say PHP or JavaScript. Once your students have a grasp of basic coding and programming concepts, then you can move into the more complex languages … if you need to!
2. Don’t teach A to Z:
Teaching people to code has a lot more to do about leaving out the non essentially elements of a language. Don’t cover every nuanced aspect of the HTML link tag, don’t cover all the ways a method can be created in PHP … leave out the less often used aspects of a language and save it for later. Just expose your students to the key aspects of the language, just enough so they can move forward.
If you want the other 8 tips, follow this link.
Thanks,
Stefan Mischook
killerSites.com
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April 4, 2014
Hi,
After years of the same old design for our DVD’s, I’ve finally decided that we needed a fresh new look. I felt inspired, so instead of getting our designer (Ben) to take care it … I broke out my old designers cap and did it myself!
– See more at: http://www.killervideostore.com/blog/2014/new-dvd-design-for-dvd-video-courses/
Thanks for reading.
Stefan Mischook
killerSites.com
read more
March 28, 2014
I try to start with the point of the article whenever I can … so what is the best way to learn web design and web programming?
In a nutshell:
- You want to as quickly as possible, get past the basic concepts and basic code principles. Too many courses these days concentrate too much on too many details.
- Once you have that minimal knowledge, you should be building actual projects!
I’ve been teaching web design and programming for over a decade now and have been teaching for about 20yrs – give or take. And I can tell you that without a doubt, the best way to learn web design and programming is to build.
… With each site that you design, your skills will jump. With each dynamic database driven website that you build, your skills will jump.
Finishing the Job is Key
It is important that you complete projects. For some reason, leaving something half done, just doesn’t seem to have the same learning impact. That’s why smaller mini projects are great for learning because big projects take a long time to finish.
With that in mind, our Complete Web Designer training package follows these principles … which only makes sense since we created all the courses!
PS: If you want a DVD/USB hard copy sent you, we do that too.
Thanks,
Stefan Mischook
www.KillerSites.com
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March 27, 2014
Hi,
Strong evidence is showing that Facebook is a good place to pour your money into … IF you want to dump cash into a black hole of no return!!
Advertising on Facebook is revealing itself to be extremely sucky in a few ways:
- Most Facebook friends are likely fake. Especially if you promote to get them.
- Facebook is cutting off access to these friends – now it’s at about 15% and it is said to be heading towards 1% as a matter of company policy. This is called ‘organic reach’ … and the organism is dying fast.
- There are accusations (that seem credible) that Facebook is padding the numbers, in terms of traffic it claims to be sending advertisers way. Facebook does NOT allow you to have outside audits of their traffic flows – that should tell you something!!
- A huge number of Facebook profiles are fake – a huge number!
Here a few comments I picked up on the Web:
Facebook has already slashed the organic reach. It’s not coming, it’s here. I run the page for my company and at best 10 out 757 people are seeing what I post. Sometimes only 2-3 people see it. I’ve also heard from pages I personally follow (that aren’t big brands) that they’ve seen this trend for over a year now.
–
We all have seen crushing decrease on the number of engagements over the course of last 3-4 months. And this has caused us to go and look elsewhere.
–
The organic algorithm is not currently this low, so if in fact they are reducing it to 1-2%, that is news. Currently ablout 8-20% of my fans organically see my posts.
–
That is false, I have a local sports conference page on which I post highly viral content, the recent changes have taken likes and shares on posts from 1,000 to 2,000 on a viral post down to 250 to 500 sometimes even less. People liked the posts and responded as their friends and family responded but now they flat out aren’t getting the chance to see them.
–
Just so we all understand the racket: Facebook sells you Page Like ads so you can acquire an audience. After you acquire an audience, they want you to pay a second, third, fourth (etc.) time to reach the audience that you’ve already paid (at least in part) to acquire. Facebook is a business, for sure, and needs to make money in order to keep shareholders happy, but its business ethics are questionable at best.
Some things to read:
About Facebook likes
On Facebook organic reach
Facebook $600 000 ad spend disaster
I have no inside information but it seems to me something is going down.
Stefan
killersites.com
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March 25, 2014
Hi!
One day you wake up and decide that you want to start a tech company but you don’t have the cash. So you figure that the easy way to get rich, is to go get some of that juicy VC (venture capital) money. Easy enough … right?
Nope.
Here are a few facts you should ponder before you decide to jump into this pool:
- You have about a 20% chance of making money when starting any new business.
- With VC backers, your chances are even less! Learn why below …
- VC guys are looking for flipability of startups and NOT viability.
- VC guys will very often flip your butt out the door when they decide to. Yes, firing founders is not uncommon!
When you make a deal with VC guys, you are making a Faustian bargain – a deal with the devil.
I am not saying that all VC guys are evil but they are typically motivated by selling out or going public. They don’t make money if you create a nice business that makes $500k/year. Nope, they want the multi billion dollar flip or an IPO, so that they can dump all their shares onto the public.
In a nutshell:
The business of finance and venture capital is one filled with sharks and quick-cash money junkies. Creating long term sustainable value is not the game.
Tech Start-up Mania
We now have a new mini-mania in tech startups. I think too many people watch SharkTank or have watched the movie The Social Network – everyone thinks they can build the next huge tech company. The reality is that Facebook, Instagram and other high-flyers that you hear about, are the lottery ticket winners. The vast majority of companies fail. These are all the startups you’ve never heard about …
VC money = loss of control
One thing you have to be aware of, is that once you bring in outside money, you will lose control – they are the boss.
For me, this has always been unacceptable because I went into business primarily for independence. You will work harder and longer when you own a business but the trade-off is that you will have freedom to get up when you want, to work on WHAT you want – you will have intellectual and mental freedom.
With lots of hard work and a pinch of luck, you may have a few bucks too!
Stefan Mischook
KillerSites.com
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March 9, 2014
Hi,
I built my first website in 1994 for my import/export business – I needed a cheap way to reach people in Europe and Asia. At the time, the Web was very new to most of the world … in fact, I had one of the first websites with photos!
Becoming a web designer and programmer:
By 1996 I was a full time web designer taking on web design contracts. In those days though, the Web was just really starting to heat up; I still remember having to go into meetings with prospective clients, having to explain to them what the Web was! A typical question I got:
“How is the Web thing going to help my business?”
Financial Freedom with Web Design:
Becoming a coder has had many major positive impacts in my life:
- Improved my ability to think logically.
- Taught me how to organize and create complex things.
- Opened my mind to abstract ideas – I could understand things that once totally confused me.
… In many ways, learning code and programming, is like doing pushups for the brain! That said, I have to admit that the #1 thing that learning to code brought to the table, was financial freedom and choice.
You see, when you get over that learning hump that can scare so many people away from programming, you will unlock earning power that you probably never imagined.
In a nutshell:
Learning web design and programming almost guarantees high paying jobs and lots of work.
Thanks for reading,
Stefan Mischook
killerSites.com
read more
February 21, 2014
Hi,
Let’s get to the point:
The days of only using web design programs like Dreamweaver (and not knowing any code) are pretty much over … if you want to be a professional web designer.
These days, web designers need to learn code and a few different coding languages, to be able to effectively build modern websites.
… The good news is that it isn’t that hard with the right training.
Which languages do you need to learn?
In the order of importance:
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
- PHP
This may seem like a lot but the good news is that you DON’T have to be an expert in everything … you just have to have working knowledge of these key languages and know how to work them together.
Studioweb makes learning code easy!
If you are serious about developing these skills, take a look at my interactive video training system Studioweb.
Used by public schools, career centers and community colleges to train their students, you can take advantage of this self-paced learning system that will gently guide you towards total nerd glory and domination!
🙂
… As an added bonus, you can get certified with the same certification used by schools!
If you have questions, feel free to contact me:
Stefan Mischook
KillerSites.com
read more
