Mick
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Posts posted by Mick
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Stefan,
You are right about student loans. This is what I found out:
The bad news about Student Loans in the USA:
- There is no bankruptcy protection
- There are no Statues of Limitations protection
- There are no Truth In Lending requirements
- There is no protection from Usury (excessive interest)
- Income (such as wages and Social Security) can be garnished to repay the loans
- The amount of student loan debt is far greater than credit card debt.
- It is difficult to get a deferment; it can only be done by Forbearance. Interest still accumulates.
- If the loan goes into default, which could happen with just a few months of non-payment--a rough spot in someone's life, interest can go to 20% or higher. In 3.5 years, the original loan amount doubles, and in 7 years, the amount quadruples.
- There will be several loans to make payments on. If they are consolidated, the original low interest rate is lost.
- If the loan defaults, in addition to the principal and outrageous interest, more debt in other forms can be added. These include
- Penalties
- Fees, and
- Collection Costs
[*]There are so many horror stories of lives destroyed by student loans. http://studentloanjustice.org/victims.htm lists some of them.
- Penalties
There is some good news, though:
http://www.ibrinfo.org/index.php
The link above explains the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) of
Student Loans program. There is a cute, short animated video
giving an overview. The link to the repayment calculator may be helpful.
- There is no bankruptcy protection
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Instead of thinking in terms of skills to learn,
think in terms of services to offer.
You can be an Offline Local Business Consultant / Marketer.
Services you can offer:
website design (of course)
Website maintenance (adding new content)
email servicing (using GetResponse or Aweber autoresponders)
Mobile website creation
Advertising on a directory website you create (Dallas Dentists, for example)
Facebook fan page site
Logo creation (can outsource to fiverr.com)
SEO (search engine optimization)
In other words, the reason the business owner wants a website is because
what s/he really wants is more customers and brand recognition.
There are tons on Internet Marketing courses and sites--you'd want to
gear your search to what is referred to variously as "brick and motor",
"local", or "offline" businesses.
Anyway, to answer your original, "Can I, a 48-year-old woman...", as
Henry Ford said,
"Whether you believe you can, or you believe you can't, you're right!"
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I recently heard this on a webinar replay.
Go find some beautiful Wordpress themes, such as from themeforest.
Use those as samples.
Tell your future clients that you can design sites like that.
It is absolutely true, too. You can install the theme of their choice
and make a beautiful site.
Sometimes success is just a matter of seeing from another perspective.
PS: You could buy a theme pack and install one each on a sub-domain of
your main site. It can be a mock-up, not an actual site you did for someone.
If you get themes that have relative positioning, you can use the same theme
for a mobile web site.
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This YouTube Video may help:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uShBYyy0cbw
Fill the form this way:
Database name: mydb (something short that ends with db for database so you remember).
Database username: root (says your MySQL username)
Database password: (leave blank) (says your MySQL password)
Database host table prefix: wp-
Tip: Open notepad and use it to keep track of names and steps.
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LSW, Thank you for the share!
Your list looks more for a web programmer than a web designer.
A designer should know industry-wide tools, such as Dreamweaver.
So many sites are now being made on WordPress platforms, that it is
becoming easier to create a site. Therefore, many people will develop
web designing skills, and employment will be more difficult.
One way around is to either be an entrepreneur or to also learn programming.
Doing jobs via HireACoder and ODesk and the other popular site that slipped my
mind is another option.
I read on Dice recently that a portfolio can help you get a job.
So, after learning the basics of a course, do a project, and keep the results.
If you are knowledgeable enough, participate in open source projects.
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I'm running Dreamweaver CS5.5 on Windows.
I've successfully installed
- WAMP (from PHP Basics Course),
- Wordpress 3.4 (latest version as of 26 June 2012), and
- Dreamweaver CS5.5
I've run PHP on WAMP, I can see my WP site on localhost, and the DW install is fine.
Problem:
Do not know how to set Server Model to PHP MySQL when trying to get WP into DW.
Detail:
in the Dreamweaver and Wordpress: Define A Site In Dreamweaver video,
the version of DW shows an Advanced tab at the top, and
an option to set the Server Model to PHP / MySQL at the bottom of the Server Form.
My Windows installation of DW CS5.5 does not show that on the form.
How do I accomplish setting the Server Model to PHP/MySQL?
Greater Detail--
Wordpress Install:
I installed wordpress to the main www folder and did a second installation to a subfolder:
C:\wamp\www\wordpress\ and
C:\wamp\www\IM University\wordpress (part of troubleshooting).
I went to http://localhost/ and from the WAMP home page,
Clicked on PhpMyAdmin, and created a new website database (called it imdb).
I ran the install script. Form fields follow:
Database name: imdb
Database username: root (says your MySQL username)
Database password: (leave blank) (says your MySQL password)
Database host
Table prefix (if you want to run more than one WordPress in a single
database) wp-
I created the wordpress and logged in.
======================================
DREAMWEAVER and WORDPRESS Steps Taken
=====================================
1. Site menu, new site
Fill out form:
first site has wordpress in www:
Site Name: IM Options
Local Site Folder: C:\wamp\www\
second site has wordpress in sub folder:
Site Name: IM University
Local Site Folder: C:\wamp\www\IM University\
2. Server for first site:
a. click Servers (on left on Site Setup for yoursitename
click plus sign in bottom left of pop-up window
c) Fill out form:-- see below
d) Click testing and unclick remote (pretty sure)
d) click Advanced Tab
e) Server Model: (on bottom) select PHP MySQL HELP--Can't do!!!
Fill out form -- list item c) -- details
server for first site:
Server name: IM Server
Connect using: Local/Network
Server folder: C:\wamp\www
Web URL: http://localhost/wordpress/
Server for second site (wp in sub-folder):
Server name: IM Server
Connect using: Local/Network
Server folder: C:\wamp\www\IM University\
Web URL: http://localhost/IM University/wordpress/
- WAMP (from PHP Basics Course),
Do You Need A Web Programming Degree?
in Web Design News
Posted
Do you need a college degree? Great question. My thoughts:
You can be an entrepreneur. You will NOT need a degree.
In running your own consulting company for small businesses,
you can provide the following services (what you don't yet know--outsource
for cheap on Fivver.com or via the classifieds on WarriorForum.com or other
similar places):
You can get a job in the Corporate world. You will need a degree.
Degree? A test you can do right now:
Go to dice.com, click on Advanced Search, plug in
within 50 miles of your zip code for a main search, and for the keyword part:
"any" (instead of "all") of the following: php, javascript, html, css
(plus whatever else you know). Look at the "job requirements" of each result to
determine how often a college degree is needed.
If you do decide to opt for a 4-year degree, take required classes at a
community college--it is much cheaper--and then transfer after getting
a two year AA degree. Work as an intern while attending college to get
experience.
Finally, you can teach yourself via killersites.com (and other resources such as books)
as a full time (non-paying) job, really working at it and thoroughly learning,
and when you think you can truly offer value to a company, try to get a job.
If you can't get hired because you don't have experience, see if putting together a
portfolio helps.
If you still can't get a job, work for free as an intern or volunteer.
Some people advise "getting your foot in the door" by doing other stuff, but I think this
can backfire by diminishing your value. Besides, how office does the help desk person get
promoted to web developer? Probably not often. (Although, if the company offers free training or
college, that's another story.)
Finally, if all else fails, there is place online where you can order a fake previous
job employment reference along with a recommendation from your "manager". (Sometimes,
you have to do what you have to do to survive. If you haven't been there, don't condemn it.)
(Note: Do not fake education. Do not say you can do things you can't (unless it is something
super simple, like Excel, that you can learn between your interview and hire date.)
Stefan, if you can provide the means for us to create a portfolio, that would be awesome!
Even just guidelines on how to go about creating one, and what would be good to put in it, would
be helpful.