Markup languages are a critical aspect of websites, the building blocks of most webpages today. They generally fall into one or more of three types: Presentational markup: Design-related commands, such as formatting text on a Web browser’s screen. HTML is a nearly-universal example. Procedural markup: Instructions for programs which process the files. This includes PostScript…
What’s the difference between a great website and an awful one? Is it too subjective to say? Can you even compare sites as divergent as Google, Facebook, and Basecamp? While there can be some room for opinion, there are definitely some nearly universal principles which separate the virtual wheat from the chaff. The worst Web…
I know that the burning question on all you Web geeks’ minds, the one that keeps you up at night, is “How can I grab the meta content from a website using PHP?” Either that, or “Does a duck’s quack echo?” For purposes of this discussion, though, I’m gonna’ go with the former. As any…
Star Trek the Next Generation: A Time to Sow ~by Dayton Ward Still reeling from the disastrous events that have rocked all of Starfleet and tarnished the career of one of the Federation’s most decorated captains, Picard and his crew must now endure the unthinkable: scandal, ostracism, and an uncertain future. But despite all that…
I came across this video at random and was as interested by the premise as the animation. He draws cartoons shown in super-speed while discussing the ideas they portray. Excerpted from the video description: What sparks the flash of brilliance? How does groundbreaking innovation happen? Answering in his infectious, culturally omnivorous style, using his fluency…
In the first book of Eleanor Updale’s excellent Montmorency series, an anonymous criminal hatches a plan to lead a double life. First, he takes the guise of Scarper, a low-class thief who uses the mazes of the sewers to steal from the homes of the rich. Then, as Montmorency, he enjoys the fruits of his…
Do you know the difference between a great domain name and a mediocre one? What do you do if your company name is taken? How about if you want to have a more general appeal than just your brand?
To write great copy, you must adhere to three principles: • It must be relevant. • It must be credible. • It must be as short as possible (not just short). Notice how the word “creative” is absent. People don’t have time for you to be cute, play tricks, or gimmick them. They want the…
We’ve all seen them: You ask a client business or service provider to send you an email with information you need. Your mailbox gives you the “new message” notification, and it’s from JoeFromBlueWidgets@thatbigISP.com. They don’t have a website, or haven’t gotten around to buying an email plan to go with it. No big deal, right?…
If you’ve spent much time at all looking into promoting your website, you’ve probably seen terms such as “organic search engine optimization” and “keyword search marketing” come up from time to time. These are really each an entire specialty of their own, but this excerpt gives a bare-bones description and an argument why manipulating the…