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What's everyone been up to recently?


falkencreative

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Seems like the forum has been a bit slow recently... what's everyone up to? Any exciting (or even not so exciting :) ) projects to share?

 

I'm in the process of finishing up another year of college... probably only two more to go until I graduate (which means I'll be in college classes for six years total. <_<) I've been taking some computer science classes, and some of the basic concepts I'm picking up there, like multidimensional arrays, linked lists, queues, object oriented programming, etc are really helping my understanding of PHP programming. I've been doing quite a bit of work with CodeIgniter recently (a PHP framework http://codeigniter.com/), and really loving how much it is speeding up my development time. The documentation is well done and I like the fact that I can chat with some of the leading people who are heavily involved with CodeIgniter directly on Twitter. My first "real" client project using CodeIgniter should be launching at the end of the month, and I hope that will lead to more heavily development focused projects. Just trying to get to the point where I can market myself as both a web/graphic designer and frontend/backend web developer.

 

I've of course got lots to work on for KillerSites, and hopefully will be doing some more PHP/development video tutorials for KillerSites in the near future. (if you've got anything you want me to cover, let me know.)

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I finally had another client project that I had to whip together pretty quickly. Took the opportunity to apply my new 'how-to-build-a-wordpress-theme' knowledge. At the same time, I'm still on and off working on another website that's been dragging on for months now - some clients just don't get that the webdesigner does NOT have the resources to provide content.

 

Next, I'd like to watch Stef's Flash tutorials, and see what I can do with that - and I try to work in a new tutorial for www.csstutorial.net as I have time and an idea. And having come across http://www.destroytheweb.net/index.php on a tweet probably won't enhance my productivity any, either.

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I have a new avatar! :D Web design - haven't had a client in about 6 months. :huh: Just been coding up demos and doing the Sitepoint css quizes to try and ward of mental boredom. I just did a pure css lighbox with next button.

 

I wrote a book on weight loss - turned out real nice. Tried to publish it, but gave up there. Tomorrow morning I'll finish the legal disclaimer and I'm going to start pushing it on the ebook side. Maybe I'll make a couple dollars. No big - I just needed to see it through.

 

My wife and I are expecting our third boy in a couple months. We're scared! Mind you we watch 12 children all day in our daycare as well. Lots of work. :blink:

Edited by Eric
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My wife and I are expecting our third boy in a couple months.

Congrats!

 

Any leads from that CMS site you put together? I can't remember the name of it (sorry -- and your personal website doesn't seem to link to it) but it had something to do with you setting up CMS installs for people using something like SurrealCMS or similar.

 

EDIT: Nevermind, found it - "Edit your website"

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Thanks. No - not a penny. Oh well. Chalk that up to my one failed buisiness venture. Hopefully there are no more of those. It was funny. Each person I spoke to about had the same reaction. They just leave that up to their designer. And they were all to afraid to make any edits themselves for fear of breaking something. Even though that's not an issue at all.

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They just leave that up to their designer. And they were all to afraid to make any edits themselves for fear of breaking something. Even though that's not an issue at all.

That's unfortunate. I get that too. I will often set up a CMS system but the client won't want to use it... It's probably a matter of sitting down with the client and providing some basic instructions on how to use the system so they aren't so intimidated by it.

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Hi Guys,

 

@Eric:

 

- congratulations on the soon to be new boy. Did you pick a name?

- sorry to hear work is not coming in ... I hope to help people with that over time around here.

- failed business ventures are part of the game in business. I've been an entrepreneur since I was 19, and I can't tell you how many of my business ideas collapsed under the weight of my dumb-ass!

 

:P

 

... Sometimes though, it's just bad timing.

 

- congratulations on the book. And I agree, I think it is important to see projects through.

 

Stefan

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We've had the most fantastic weather here since Thursday - clear blue sky, no wind, cool air and very hot sun, so I've been out on my mountain bike over the farm tracks and footpaths on the chalk downs, still muddy in places with pools of water which made it interesting.

 

The UK usually has weather changes every three or four days due to low pressure systems coming in from the Atlantic, often the remains of hurricanes in the Caribbean (but not this time of year) and the low pressure systems fight with high pressure systems from Russia. It's looking good today at 06.47 UK time and dry but increasingly cloudy weather is forecast for a few days so it's been an exceptional period.

 

The daffodils haven't been destroyed by wind or rain and the cherry blossom is out on a tree I can see through my window, although the main blossom period for fruit trees is still a few days away and I hope the weather doesn't get too bad then.

 

@Eric - it seems that "inherit" is now forming a second part of your life (or is a third or fourth?).

Edited by Wickham
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I will often set up a CMS system but the client won't want to use it...

 

Indeed it becomes a major problem - once you set up CMS for the client, he often just dont use it at all or in very restricted way. I blame quite complicated admin panels and build-in online editors.

 

Got me thinking: next time I'll suggest any CMS for the client (especially shopping carts!) first thing will be to check the "end user admin panel friendiness".

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It's nice to hear everyone's updates. :)

 

Right now I'm working on a website for a church in North Carolina. Also, I'm working on a few WordPress themes and Ecommerce templates that I hope to sell on my site in the very near future. I just finished a redesign of my website to accommodate those additions.

 

Other than that, I'm just busy being a mom and wife. My kids just finished spring break and are all in school at the moment. The silence is heavenly. B)

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As for late, I have been doing multiple projects mostly business to business clients much of which is ecommerce site development.

 

Currently, I have 3 business clients that provides tons of work plus I get a few consumer clients from time to time. So, this keeps me pretty busy but I am always open for new projects.

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What CMS have you've been using for your projects?

This year it was Wordpress most of the times, and the last shopping cart - Zencart.

I must say for the client both Wordpress and Zencart admin panels were with the big learning curve and required extra instructions.

In general, I wonder if there are some reviews on CMS admin panels usability?

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Hi Guys,

 

@Eric:

 

- congratulations on the soon to be new boy. Did you pick a name?

- sorry to hear work is not coming in ... I hope to help people with that over time around here.

- failed business ventures are part of the game in business. I've been an entrepreneur since I was 19, and I can't tell you how many of my business ideas collapsed under the weight of my dumb-ass!

 

:P

 

... Sometimes though, it's just bad timing.

 

- congratulations on the book. And I agree, I think it is important to see projects through.

 

Stefan

 

Thank you Stefan! No name yet. Our other boys names are London and Julian (5yr and 3yr), so it needs to be on par with theirs. Different but not weird.

 

Easy CMS Editor

I know it's on a different level than Wordpress or similar, but Surreal CMS editor is probably as easy and intuitive as you get. You can play with my demo if you'd like.

Edited by Eric
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Same old stuff...

 

Writing the kids... spring cleaning... fighting a stubborn mouse... looking from work away from computers. I am carving three projects, beading/sewing one, just finished making my own and my daughters carving knives and preping her dance gear for "Celebration" in June. It is a type of Pow Wow for natives of SE Alaska, 4 days of dancing and celebrating, parades... chance to show off your dance gear, your clan and people, meet other dancers clans and tribes.

 

Saturday will be Earth day at the Glacier, Jessie's group will dance there again and she will drum for the Earth Blessing ceremony by Cy Pack Jr., a well known Shaman/Medicine Man in SE Alaska who has blessed U2 Concerts, Robert Redford & Steven Siegal films etc. He has major friends in the entertainment industry. He took a liking to Jessie and her interest in native culture here when she herself is only a little Potawatomi.

 

I am mostly on my iPhone. My Laptop fan is shot so most times I turn it on I have to turn it back off due to the noise.

 

Currently I am hoping for a job as a Canine handler (explosive sniffing dog) with TSA. Told you I want away from the Computers. Lastly awaiting the return of the "Toureristen." Tourist season starts in a few more weeks.

 

Wickham, sounds like here... earlier last week we had snow, end of the week nice but cool weather, and the weekend...Yeh Ha! It hit 50 so out come the shorts and flipflops in Alaska! I grilled the first time yesterday! Also saw the Northern Lights last night. Does not happen this far south all that often and it is usually over cast and in summer it never really gets dark enough. Even had to wear my sunglasses to go to work at 6 am.

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@Eric: Sounds like you are pretty busy with the daycare along with your two boys. Makes me wonder where you will find the time to do web stuff when you and your wife running a busy daycare while making babies!! :rolleyes:

 

@Kyle: Wow! You are now going to have a real life! I wish you much success!! As for the snow, none here in Florida but I hear in northern California is getting pounded with snow again as it did last week. It's been quite dry here for us. Normally, we get 60+ inches of rain per year. However, the temperature has been wonderfully in the upper 70's to low 80's.

 

@Stef: I like to take my 42inch LCD and hook it up on my computer in the office but desk space would then be an issue.

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@Eric: Sounds like you are pretty busy with the daycare along with your two boys. Makes me wonder where you will find the time to do web stuff when you and your wife running a busy daycare while making babies!! :rolleyes:

 

@Kyle: Wow! You are now going to have a real life! I wish you much success!! As for the snow, none here in Florida but I hear in northern California is getting pounded with snow again as it did last week. It's been quite dry here for us. Normally, we get 60+ inches of rain per year. However, the temperature has been wonderfully in the upper 70's to low 80's.

 

@Stef: I like to take my 42inch LCD and hook it up on my computer in the office but desk space would then be an issue.

 

I do web design (or any other computer related activity) from 4am to 6am and hit the gym from 6am to 7am and daycare from 7:30am to 5:30pm each day.

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I do web design (or any other computer related activity) from 4am to 6am and hit the gym from 6am to 7am and daycare from 7:30am to 5:30pm each day.

 

I can relate. I've been up since 3am and worked until 6:30am. Then I am busy with my kids and their school throughout the day (while trying to sneak in some work here and there). Sometimes I can work at night, but am usually too sleepy by then. :)

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