Stefan Mischook
November 20, 2012
HTML 5 is the hot technology these days because it does what we web designers and programmers always wanted HTML to do. Among other things:
- HTML 5 makes page layout MUCH easier.
- HTML 5 can easily make websites work like a program that you install. Nerds call them ‘applications’ or ‘thick’ clients.
- HTML 5 makes media embeds super easy and universal – no plugins required.
There is a lot more to HTML 5 than the few things I listed above (of course) … and so we are starting a new series of beginners articles on HTML 5 that get right to the point.
You can check them out on how-to-build-websites.com
Thanks,
Stefan Mischook
killerSites.com
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November 15, 2012
Hi,
We have been on a mission recently here at KillerSites.com – a mission to simplify. I’ve even given the mission a name:
Project Simplify!
… Yes, very original.
Simple is hard to do …
Anyone with any design experience (and programming experience) can tell you that simplifying is a hard thing to do. It takes a lot of experience to be able to strip away the non-essential elements from a web page while still keeping it functional. As I stated in a previous blog post, web design is more like sculpting and less like painting; you want to strip away from the page to reveal the final product … rather than add to it.
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November 7, 2012
Dreamweaver vs WordPress?
What is the difference between WordPress and Dreamweaver? …This is a question that is popping up a lot … so I figure I should answer it.
First of all, though they look the same from the non-nerd’s perspective, they are in fact very different from each other:
Dreamweaver is a web design program that you install on YOUR computer. WordPress is a content management system (basically a bunch of php pages) that you install on your web server – not your home computer.
A website built with Dreamweaver can be uploaded to any web server. When you build a website with WordPress, the website and WordPress become one. You need to have WordPress running to run the website, because the website is dynamically being generated by the WordPress engine.
Dreamweaver is like a set of power tools, that can speed up the web design process. WordPress is like a Lego game, where all the pieces are already made, and all you have to do is snap them together.
… Finally, WordPress is free and Dreamweaver is a commercial product that cost hundreds of dollars.
Read the rest of this article on how-to-build-websites.com
Stefan Mischook
killerSites.com
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October 30, 2012
Hi!
Many years ago, during the time of the dinosaurs, I was taught a very important rule about the perfection of technique:
… The master’s movement is polished, minimal, without waste or clutter. One of the primary goals of a martial artist, is to strip away non essential movement, and to clear ones mind of distracting thoughts.
What the heck does this have to do with web design?
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October 24, 2012
Hi,
There is some confusion between the KillerSites Video Library vs. the KillerSites Interactive University, that I want to clear up. Once upon a time the Library was called the University … yes, a mistake. Anyway, here are the differences:
KillerSites Library:
Is our complete collection of video training courses – we have well over a 1500 videos on web design and web programming subjects. Not just a bunch of tips and tricks either, we have complete training so that you can learn to become a web designer or programmer from scratch. This is a subscription based service where you need to log in to view the videos.
Check it out: KillerSites Video Library
KillerSites Interactive University:
Is a collection of INTERACTIVE training videos where you watch a video (videos run 3-10 minutes each) and then are quizzed on it. Sometimes the quiz questions are code challenges (where you actually write code,) and other times it is good old multiple choice.
As you progress through the courses, your progress is scored and tracked just like a video game. As you do more courses, you scores add up and soon you have a profile where you can show that you’ve actually done the training! You can make that profile public or private, it is your choice.
The courses quizzes are half the learning value – code challenges make you think about what you just saw on video and writing out the code reinforces the information even more so. Try out the free courses:
KillerSites Interactive University
Thanks for reading,
Stefan Mischook
KillerSites.com
read more
October 24, 2012
Hi,
I just wanted to announce our new Beginners Dreamweaver CS6 video tutorial course is out! This is a really big one too!
Video Highlights:
Create a COMPLETE website using HTML5 and CSS3
Learn the new Dreamweaver CS6 Workspace
Get comfortable with CSS3 Transitions
Learn about responsive designs
Cover the basics of HTML: Text, Links, Images, Lists, and Forms
Cover the basics of CSS: ID and Class selectors
Learn all about website layout and typograpy
Total running time: 10 hours 56 minutes!
Check it out on the new KillerVideoStore.com:
http://killervideostore.com/video-courses/beginners-dreamweaver-cs6.php
Thanks,
Stefan
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October 14, 2012
I just wanted to mention that we are close to launching our brand new KillerVideoStore.com web site. After much work on both the front end and the back end, we are finally close to having something ready for primetime.
The new video store is different in a few ways:
- Whole new layout.
- The KillerVideoStore becomes an information hub … soon with hundreds of free videos.
- The store will have its’ own blog where I will be talking about the latest web trends and putting the spotlight on various videos in our courses.
- The store will now be offering much more comprehensive training packages that will include our streaming video library and our interactive training at KillersitesUniversity.com
read more
August 13, 2012
In web design, you have many competing options available to you where many times, there is no clear cut winner.
… But there are some things, that you simply should not do in most cases.
1. Flash based websites – don’t build them!
The Flash nerds who read this are not going to be happy. A lot of people hate change, especially when something new comes along that replaces what they are used to. For Flash, this thing is HTML5 and CSS3 … these two widely adopted technologies replaces Flash for animation, easy page layout and many other things.
So why is Flash to be avoided?
A pure Flash based website has always been a bad idea. Today though, it is a disaster because iPad, iPhone and generally speaking, most other mobile web browsers cannot and will not be able to properly view Flash or in the case of iPhones and iPads, even see it at all!
Why should you care that people on smartphones can’t see your Flash site? Because, as much as 50% of the Web’s traffic is from mobile devices.
Beyond that, Flash is terrible in terms of search engines (this means terrible SEO) and you also have the added overhead of having to buy the Flash program to edit the Flash files. Whereas with HTML5 and CSS3, all you have to do is open the pages up in a simple text editor to make changes.
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August 9, 2012
First, let us remember the top 3 rules of websites:
1. Content
2. Content
3. Content
… and since most of a website’s content is text, great web writing skills are super fantastically important! The irony these days, is that writing is often only considered as an afterthought.
By the way, that’s why social media websites like Facebook are typically doomed to eventually fail, because user-generated-content is usually crappy content, and the weight of that sea of useless material, typically crushes in on itself – like it did with Friendster and MySpace.
Let’s get to the tips …
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August 6, 2012
Top 3 Beginners Web Design Questions
1. How long before you can build a website?
You can learn to build a simple website in a few days .. if you can put a few hours into it every day.
Yes, you would have only basic web design skills, but with the help of templates and other smart web design strategies, you could actually put a simple web site together that won’t make people cry when they see it.
To become an expert web designer though, will take more time. How much time depends your natural talents and how much you know about technology coming into it. I’ve seen people develop entry level pro skills in months … with the required work put in of course.
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