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Blog 06
Browsers I Have Known
When Chrome, the web browser application in Google's vast corral of products, was first released, I considered trying it. It was the same attitude I had back in 1995, when my boss asked me if I would like to design a website. I said, "Sure, I guess I'll try it," and installed Lynx from a CD that came with a book I bought about the Web. Remember Lynx? Yeah, most people don't. Also included on the CD was Mosaic, which was crazy and ugly but I didn't know any better and thought it was a miracle.
Soon, there was Netscape. It was a little prettier than Mosaic and I used it happily for a while. I eventually upgraded my PC and, lo, there was Internet Explorer. It was beautiful! It was slow! It crashed my computer and did strange things to my websites. When I switched my main computer platform to Mac in 2001, IE followed me, like a small, evil but pathetic dog that you feel too sorry for to get rid of. It was crashy but at least on the Mac it didn't lock up my entire machine, though it still did strange things to my websites. I was relieved to get Safari with OS X and used it almost exclusively for years, occasionally opening IE only to see how bad it was rendering my websites and then quickly closing it before it could infect me with its wickedness. More
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Melissa Morrow
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Blog 05
Facebook, Facebook, Facebook
Facebook competitors were already there, experts predicted My Space fatigue—and they were right. Many other social networks put their bid in to have a piece of the social networking market. Facebook grew, and grew, and grew. So many companies were banking on Facebook fatigue—yet it didn't happen. In fact, it's as if people who don't use Facebook have become a minority?! For lack of a better word, it seems that Facebook has become... reliable.
If it's free, pervasive, and reliable we can't help it—we probably recommend you integrate facebook into your online presence.
If you or your company:
- Makes Regular Public Announcements
- Hosts Special Events
- Has a Wide Supporter Base (eg. Nonprofits)
- Has Sale Items or Specials
- Regularly Posts Photos
- Hosts Public Discussions
Then you are a great match for the benefits inherent in the Facebook platform.
Did I mention it's cheap, too? Meridiansix can setup and integrate a fan page and/or "Like" button into your existing website for only $250.
Dotfoil Computers is a good example: Dotfoil Computers Santa Fe
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Adam LaVail
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Blog 04
Web Solutions for the $0 Budget
This post is for all those clients with the best intentions and no funding. There are many existing, online resources
where you can get your content online, and in many cases, it's absolutely free.
Beginner Resources
SiteKreator - You can instantly design, build and host a fully-branded website for personal or business use.
Weebly - With Weebly you can create a fully branded website using a drag and drop interface, and change your design any time.
Zinadoo - Lets you create and share a mobile website.
CreataPlace - Create a professional portfolio website without programming. And it's affordable.
freewebs - Fast and easy website creator with hundreds of available templates and customizable widgets.
Wufoo - Online form builder with full CSS and XHTML integration.
formspring - Another online form builder. This one lets you get all of the form submissions through an RSS feed or single spreadsheet instead of hundreds of emails.
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Adam LaVail
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Blog 03
Website Ownership
A man hired a web designer to build out some pages, and make some updates to an existing site. When the designer was finished, the client refused to pay, and changed the password to the server, so the web designer couldn't log in and take down the pages he'd created. I guess the designer took the client to court, and the client ended up with a 4th degree felony for criminal fraud.
The recent opinion from the New Mexico Supreme Court upheld the ruling from the District Court that, unless otherwise specifically stated in the initial contract, a website is the property of the author, and not the client who commissioned the site. The main justification was the author of the code owns the copyright to it (unless specifically given away), and, since it is the code which lends value to the website (and not the domain name, or the hosting, etc...), that value constitutes ownership of the site itself. The client only receives an implied license to use the copyrighted material.
Meridiansix doesn't take such a hard line with our clients. Here is the position from our own FAQ.
6. Who owns the work?
You do. The website, identity, or print design we create for you is yours. All published/posted files are the exclusive property of the client. Meridiansix only retains ownership of source files that were used to create the final product. We do not require our clients to purchase or participate in any proprietary software–we don't believe in it.
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Pete Reilly
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Blog 02
Love 2.0
It's still in beta but it's running pretty smooth...
View Video
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Adam LaVail
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Blog 01
Google's Socialstream
I'm like most people who think Google is great, then get a nervous twitch in my belly. The reality of Google's trustworthiness probably lays between their slogan, "Don't be evil," and the old adage, "Power corrupts." My secret desire is to have Google give me access to the content of every book ever written— for free. Is that so wrong?
In the world of social media, MySpace is an ugly dumpster and Facebook is the new king. It only made sense that Google tried its hand in this new mega-meta-market. They paired up with Carnegie Mellon University's Human-Computer Interaction Institute, and developed a refined understanding. View their results here.
Even with a cursory look through the demo video, it appears they've got some forward thinking and strong programming. It's greatest application will be in its ability to be utilized as a baseline platform other communities; turn-key functionality that widely integrated across multiple websites. This would empower smaller enterprises to engage social media meaningfully at a fraction of otherwise large startup costs and delays.
How does it look? Meh... It ain't Apple ; )
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Adam Lavail
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