October 7th, 2008 / No Comments » / by Liz Jamieson
A Web 2.0 styled site is satifying to build and compelling for visitors.
I personally hope it is here to stay awhile – or at least that we don’t go back to the animated, flashed, cluttered styling of the previous years.
That said – the web is evolving all the time – when will it start to look and behave like Web 3.0?
Here is an article that explains the look, feel and interactivity of a Web 2.0 type site and gives the reasons why this type of site works. It lists the features of Web 2.0 styling such as:
- simplicity
- central fixed layouts
- simple navigation
- strong colours, gradients
- badges
- icons
The article contains scores of Web 2.0 site examples. Some real inspiration.
Posted in: In the office, Web 2.0, Web Design
Tags: web 2.0
October 6th, 2008 / No Comments » / by Liz Jamieson
Earlier in the year I read The 4-hour Work Week
, an interesting and inspiring book by Tim Ferriss.
Tim somehow manages to run his successful online businesses while taking mini-retirement breaks around the world.
You want to hate him but you can’t help but admire his determinatiion, focus and cheekiness in running his life on his own terms.
Of more relevance to this blog is his choice of technologies that allow him to stay connected to his business while on his travels. Here is a list of the handy online tools that Tim describes using in his book.
Posted in: Business Coaching, In the office
Tags: books, efficiency
October 3rd, 2008 / No Comments » / by Liz Jamieson
Open source software is software that is free to use, change, and improve (if you have the skills and time to help out).
The site I am pointing out tody is one that lists the best Open Source software available to windows users.
It includes most of the well known ones like Firefox, Thunderbird and Kompozer, but also some less well known open source programs which you may find are useful additions to your online weaponry.
For example – do you already use Audacity – I find that really useful for audio editing. I didn’t see the brilliant jZip there though.
Some proprietary software programs are just too expensive (if utterly brilliant – like for example Adobe Photoshop) when you are just starting out or when you are not yet sure you want to invest in a technology, and that it will support your business goals.
The answer can be to cut your business teeth on open source software.
Posted in: Open Source Software
Tags: Open Source Software
October 2nd, 2008 / No Comments » / by Liz Jamieson
I used this site recently to generate a background image for a new blog. I think it has worked pretty well.
The new blog layout can be seen here with a nice dotty background image. By the way, How To Get Hosted uses a theme called Thesis which is fairly customisable.
This useful web site allows you to generate backgrounds with dots that either run the whole way behind a page, or fade out to a single block colour as the one I have used at How To Get Hosted does.
This tool only produces repeating background images for a single dot design, but very useful and striking, neverthless.
Posted in: Graphics, Web 2.0
Tags: Graphics
October 1st, 2008 / No Comments » / by Liz Jamieson
I gave up using free wordpress themes some time ago and now pay a designer to make WordPress Themes for me. For example, the theme for this blog is a customisable one that I commissioned from a theme designer in Sinagpore via eLance.
However a few days ago I came across a paid theme that I’ve decided to use for my next blog. See it on the left here.
It is customisable up to a point but is also beautifully laid out in its default state.
Using it also teaches you more about WordPress code which is no bad thing.
The support is excellent, you get free updates, there is a showcase of the blogs people have produced using the theme to give you inspiration.
How Much Does The Thesis WordPress Theme Cost?
The personal version is $87 and the developer version (develop as many blogs as you like), is only $164. If you are not sure, as I wasn’t, that you want to buy the developer version, you can buy the personal version and then upgrade later. It doesn’t cost you any more than if you bought the developer version in the first place.
Posted in: Wordpress
Tags: Wordpress Themes
