I discovered that Pageflakes.com has gone offline. Details are sketchy to why the site is down, but I hope it comes back soon.
I have come to depend on Pageflakes for tracking the blogs on web design, graphics, and social media that I read. I do use iGoogle and have my links backed up on Delicious.com, so I am not worried about losing links if Pageflakes does not return.
While there are alternative services that are similar to Pageflakes, such as NetVibes and iGoogle, I liked the way Pageflakes would show graphics and text of the feeds it pulled in. I could scan a Pageflakes page and seek out the stories I wanted to read faster than any other reader.
If Pageflakes does not come back, I’ll just find a new way to read RSS. I’m just not looking forward to organizing all those feeds again.
I just upgraded my blog to WordPress 2.7. This new version of WordPress is the best upgrade I have seen so far. The dashboard is much cleaner and easier to use. I’m using the QuickPress Window to write this post.
Here’s some video showing the new features in WordPress 2.7.
Today is my birthday. As a present to myself, I am starting up this blog again.
I haven’t posted here in months. It was not because lacked anything write, but because I had other places to share it.
Over the last few months I’ve been using Facebook and Twitter to share stories, keep in touch with friends, and meet others who share my interests.
I set this blog up originally to test out Wordpress. I had a basic blogging strategy of what I wanted to accomplish here. I made efforts to post here on a regular basis. I soon discovered Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites.
“Tweeting” and posting links into Facebook were quick and easy. I found myself drifting away from blogging and using those resources more. I also wanted to find out how useful were these tools were in everyday use.
I am dealing with my own information overload. I love all the tools that so-called “Web 2.0″ has brought us, but there are only so many RSS feeds, news services, YouTube channels, and micro-blogging sites that one person can read and gain useful information.
In the last few months I’ve learned a great deal about the benefits and pitfalls of social media. I’ll share what I have learned in future posts about my successes and mistakes.
After posting that photo of the cupcake, now I really do want one.
Ajaxian.com features a look at the prerelease of the new version of Flash. Code named “astro”, the new Flash offers a new drawing API, advanced text layout, and 3D effects.
Here’s a YouTube video of the astro in action. I love the retro-space graphics!
The Wake Up Later blog features a list of 8 mistakes that web developers make. These are not the glaring mistakes that are plain to see, like covering a page with animated GIF graphics or writing the site’s HTML in some awful WYSIWYG program.
The mistakes show a lack of polish and design savvy. There is a difference between Arial and Helvetica. Using cruddy stock photos can ruin a good design. Have you thought about the color scheme…or are you going to use the same blue and white pallete again?
Even if you are a rockstar-level web designer, this list is worth a look.
Starting a blog, or any long-term project, can be a daunting process not just because of the work involved, but the long periods of time that might pass before you see any reward…or even an indication if you are doing the right things.
It is easy to get depressed and worn out when it looks like you have a giant mountain of work in front of you. Chris Garrett over at The Blog Herald offers some advice on setting goals and staying positive when running a blog.
The way he puts it, that big mountain you have to climb is just a series of small hills.
Last year I started 2007 with installing Wordpress and starting my own blog. The use of this blog has been more of an experiment than a place to write posts. I used this blog to learn about the Wordpress interface, SEO, basic PHP, and the problems with CSS browser bugs.
Since August this blog has sat idle while I worked on other projects. I feel I neglected it like a classic sports car, leaving it to sit under a tarp in the driveway when I should have driving it. Now its time to take off the tarp, rev up the engine, and hit the road.
2008 promises to be a dramatic year for the web and the IT industry. There will be plenty to post about.
Search Engine Guide features a story on how to recruit casual users of your product or website to become product evangelists.
Jennifer Laycock describes the process of engaging customers to sell your product and the power of “word of mouth” marketing.
Here’s a quote…
My phrase at the class this week was that social media is mostly just word of mouth on crack. Instead of a person telling ten friends at a dinner party, they blog it and reach thousands (or millions) of people around the world.
From large corporations to blog writers, the word “community” is used to describe different ways to market websites and products. But how do you start and what are the risks? This article serves as a starting point to illustrate an elusive idea.
According to Schmidt, Web 2.0 was based on AJAX technology. Web 3.0 will be about building smaller applications and linking them together. Smaller apps can run on different devices, ranging from computers to cell phones, and can be “distributed virally” through email and social networks.
Computer applications would no longer be something you take out of a cardboard box or plastic jewel case and install using a CD. You would receive them from friends and co-workers through your Gmail or Facebook account.
From my viewpoint, parts of Web 3.0 are already here. Do you know anyone who installed Itunes or Instant Messenger on their computer from a CD?
