Event Calendars

Need a calendar for your blog or website? Well lets take a look at some of the available calendars that Wordpress offers. I looked at three different stats to judge which calendar I would use if I need one. The three categories are: downloads, rating, and compatibility. Compatibility is a voting option used by Wordpress users to say whether or not the calendar works for them.

Events Calendar

Downloads: 237,420

Rating: 3 Stars

Compatibility: Broken

Link

Extremely easy to install, options menu is small and simple. The options menu to add a new event is very simple to navigate. The best thing about it is the small calendar that fits in your sidebar perfectly. There is a reason this calendar has 237,000 downloads. This is my pick for which calendar to use.

Calendar

Downloads: 100,692

Rating: 4 Stars

Compatibility: Works

Link

Yes its just called Calendar. It was, as is true with most plugins/widgets, easy to install. Calendar offers you 3 options to manage and edit your calendar. One of the best options is an editable CSS sheet within the options. Adding events and managing categories is simple. The basic calendar is plain and boring so this is a big benefit.

Event Calendar 3

Downloads: 142,495

Rating: 4 Stars

Compatibility: Works

Link

Event Calendar 3 is easy to install and its options menu is simple and easy to use. However I was not impressed by my first trial of it. After successfully following the install instructions I still had error messages about the code, and the CSS needed to be tweaked to allow appropriate room on the sidebar.

Conclusion

As with any CMS or CMS options it is really up to you to decide on what works best. I really liked Events Calendar. There is a reason that it has been the most download calendar plugin. It may not work for you as it seems not to work for some. Just try any of these three or any other ones you seem to like or might fit well in your blog/website.

CMS Templates

When using a CMS should you create a template from scratch? Should you modify a preexisting template? Lets examine which choice is better.

Templates

What should you do, spend time to create your own template or modify one? Well folks my opinion is to take the easy way out so to speak. Why spend all that time and energy creating a template from scratch. Just grab a template that will work perfectly for your website, and modify it.

Resources

Here are a few good resources when it comes to creating and downloading templates:

• Wordpress Themes-
  
• Create Worpress Themes (Themeshaper)
  
• Joomla Templates
  
• Create Joomla Templates

My Template

We were asked to find a template for our DME 260 class for http://www.artspacecharter.org/ who are in the process of updating their website. Here is the template I feel will work best for them:


http://wp-themes.com/

Ignore the color scheme and the leaf sidebar, they are just the template itself and not what would be needed for Art Space. I like this template because of two things, first, the sidebar. The sidebar offers great navigation and is definitely creative. My thought is to use something like paper mache or some kind of construction paper to create a cool artsy sidebar. Secondly the layout is just simple, since parents will be the majority of users on this site they will need something nice and simple.

SEO vs SEM

I am sure you have seen or heard SEO or SEM thrown around while talking to clients or talking to designers. Do you really know the difference, better yet do THEY know the difference? Well let us take a look and see what we can decipher about the two.

What is SEO

SEO stands for search engine optimization, and what that means is “the process of optimizing your website with keywords you wish to associate with.” Well great I know what that means, now how do I implement it? Brian Woeller from Ezinearticlez has several ways to create great SEO for your website:

• Having Keyword rich web pages
• Having Keywords in the title of your pages
• Having Keywords in your domain name
• Naming the images in your site using keywords
• Naming the Alt tags of images using keywords

What is SEM

SEM stands for search engine marketing, what this means is “the process and the methods used to promote your site to search engines.” As with SEO there are several ways to achieve proper SEM. Brian Woeller has more ideas on how to implement SEM:

• Search Engine Optimization
• Article Marketing
• Video Marketing
• Social Network Marketing
• PPC, or Pay Per Click Advertising

The keyword you are looking for when it comes to SEO and SEM is “Keywords.” To successfully and cheaply implement SEO and SEM you need to have keyword rich content that you is associated with the website. Have links to your website, everybody has a friend out there willing to give a link in their website.

Content Management Systems and SEO



Since SEO is all about good content, adding a CMS to the picture shouldn’t change your SEO or SEM at all should it? Well it can be a little tricky handling SEO with a CMS.

• URLs -Some CMSs create dynamic URLS, search engines don’t like dynamic URLs much since they include special characters like % and =. They prefer good old http:www.google.com type URLs.
• Keyword URLs – Dynamic IPs do not allow for very good keyword URLs, and what is the most important thing when it comes to SEO? Keywords.
• Bad Meta Tags – Some CMSs do not allow users to assign Meta Tags. Meta Tags are critical when search engines are looking for sites.
• Code – When using a CMS they can use special scripts or use codes that are not web standards

In the End

Regardless of whether you are hand coding a website or if you are using a CMS it all comes down to keywords. SEO and SEM are two different things, and both are linked. I recommend content rich articles and meta tags for SEO. Take advantage of any free marketing you can get from clients and friends alike. Most of all make sure your clients know what the differences are, the more you sound intelligent the more the trust you.

Sources:
I Data Technologies
Ezinearticles
Raise my Rank

CMS Feedback

So it begins, the showdown between Website Baker and CMSimple! Two CMS enter, one CMS leaves in true Thunderdome fashion!

I will talk about each CMS individually and will cover several aspects of these CMS’ such as: installation, templates, editing, along with which CMS I prefer and which I would use with clients.

CMSimple



CMSimple’s name is actually very appropriate, it is a nice simple lightweight CMS great for clients who only need to make small changes or updates to their website.
Installing

This is where CMSimple really takes the cake. The whole program is small and by small I mean REALLY small, it is less than 100kb! To install all you have to do is drag and drop the folder into your server, run it, then edit your settings, this all takes around 5 minutes.

Templates

Templating is somewhat frustrating. You need to know a little PHP to understand what you are editing and what needs to be placed in a certain div tag. Creating a template from scratch is one of the harder aspects of using CMSimple, but with a little practice you can churn out some good looking stuff. However if you choose not to create one from scratch you can always find a good template to use.

Note: You will need to have a Table of Content file, this uses heading tags to create your navigation and sub-navigation. You will also need a Content file (content.htm) and stylesheet (stylesheet.css.)

Some useful template links

• CMSimple
• CMSimpleWebsites

Editing

I am not a fan of using CMSimple to create a website from scratch, but if I am just editing I think that CMSimple is extremely easy to do small edits here and there. The interface is very simple and reminiscent of a text editor such as Microsoft Word or Notepad.



Website Baker



Website baker should be used for larger websites; it is more powerful and should only be used by those who do know what they are doing when it comes to using a computer.

Installing

Installing Website Baker can be a bit of a hassle, you need to have a PHP server and mySQL. Along with needing PHP and mySQL you need to have a database for Website Baker, or you can’t run it. Once you have the installation guide up and running on your browser it becomes a little bit more straight forward. Again you have to know what you are doing to be able to install website baker correctly, or have a really good teacher.

Note: Several friends have had problems using website baker on their own sites. They had to call their hosting companies and spend time changing their PHP version.

Templates

Lucky for us website baker provides a great guide on creating templates. It takes you through everything you could possible need to know. In my experience I did not have those long 2 A.M. nights where I end up breaking everything in sight because my template isn’t working correctly.

As with CMSimple there are plenty of templates to download and use. Website Baker takes the cake when it comes to templates.

Some useful template links
Designers Guide

Editing

Remember that thing I said about knowing what you are doing on a computer? Website Bakers opening interface can be a little intimidating at first, but with a little practice you will learn your way around it pretty quick. The editing interface however is very easy to understand and is somewhat similar to CMSimples. Adding media is very simple and straight forward as well.



CMSimple or Website Baker?

Well let’s break down who wins in the three categories:

• Installation: CMSimple
• Templates: Website Baker
• Editing: Website Baker

Website Baker wins 2 to 1. The fact that Website Baker wins the war doesn’t mean it is always the best CMS to use. Would you use a bull dozer to plant some flowers? Probably not! Then why would you use a larger CMS for a simple website. CMSimple should be used as well, just not for large or more complicated websites.

Clients

Deciding what your clients can be able to use is critical in your own decision. Some clients will not be tech savy at all and rely on you heavily to decide what is best for them. If they are older and less tech savy, I would recommend CMS Simple. If they are younger and more astute on the web then by all means use website baker.

My Decision

You guys are going to hate me, but I honestly don’t have an opinion on what to use. Since your clients are going to change from job to job you can never settle on just using one CMS.

CMS Intro

All About CMS!



Websites as a whole are difficult to maintain for the average user or the non tech savvy. Well there is an easy way to take your static website and be able to change and maintain content. I am talking about CMS. Well what is a CMS? CMS or Content Management Systems are what most big companies and large websites use to well…manage their online content.

What is a CMS?

A Content Management System is a tool/software that allows you to create, edit, manage, publish, and archive content on or for your website. This can include text, pictures, video, audio and most anything you want to put online. The great thing about a CMS is that you don’t need a designer to update all your content. Not having to pay a designer over and over to update content will save you lots of money in the long run.

What Features are Handy?

There are several important and handy features a CMS can provide.

•Ability to Edit Content – This is the most important feature to me. A CMS will allow you to edit your content from anywhere. You don’t have to pay a designer to constantly update your content. You can do it all by yourself!

•No need to Edit HTML & CSS – Unless you are a skilled coder or have a general understanding of HTML and CSS chances are you might as well be staring at a foreign language when looking at code. The great thing about a CMS is that you don’t have to edit any of them. Without the need to edit HTML you also lower your chances of screwing up your site, and then you have to spend more money to get it fixed.

•Plug-ins – Say you want to add a calendar to your website, maybe you want to add a gallery of Artwork. Well CMS’s have tons of plug ins you can download and install yourself. Again this saves you money and time.

Final Thoughts

With the website no longer being full of static websites it is extremely important to have the ability to update your content. Clients want the ability to have control over their own content, so give it to them! CMS’s are becoming more available and easier to use to the average user. Go out and discover more on your own.

Tech Report

Chances are you have 100 different login names and passwords to remember on a daily basis. We all have Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Youtube, and so many more accounts to keep straight. What if I told you that you could use one login to sign into sites, instead of having to remember each individual password and user name? Well there is such a thing out there, it is called OpenID. “OpenID is a decentralized authentication protocol that makes it easy for people to sign up and access web accounts.” (openid.net)

How does OpenID work?

Instead of using a username OpenID assigns you a URL. This URL serves as your username on any site that is registered with OpenID. Before obtaining this URL from an OpenID provider you have to fill out your account information within your OpenID profile. The form is like any other sign up form, basic questions include name, age, D.O.B, and location. If you have a preexisting account from Google, Facebook, AOL, Myspace, Flickr, and other registered sites then you can bypass this whole step as you already have an OpenID URL from your account. When logging onto a site registered by OpenID you have to look for the OpenID hyperlink or their icon/logo. Input your OpenID URL, and all you have to do is click on “verify this site.” Voila you are done. Your URL should look something like this : “e.g. http://alice.openid.provider.org/” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenID)

OpenID’s History

OpenID was developed in 2005 by Brad Fitzpatrick who created LiveJournal. The first practical use for OpenID was between LiveJournal and DeadJournal. Originally 9 million users of LiveJournal had the option to use their LiveJournal ID as their OpenID. OpenID was slow to catch on and in its first year it only registered around 500 sites. However 6 month later OpenID exploded with having over 2,500 registered sites. In 2007 Symantec, Sun Microsystems, and Microsoft offered support for OpenID. Other notable sites include: AOL, Google, Facebook, Myspace, and Flickr.

Why should I care about OpenID?

Well an easy answer is because all the big social networking sites are doing it. What would be another reason, to save time. We all pride ourselves on getting things done fast, or saving time for something else. With two clicks of a mouse button you can sign in and verify a lot quicker than you would be able to if you were filling out form after form.

Where can I create an account?

The website I choose to use is called www.myopenid.net and www.openid.net . It was the recommended site in several online tutorials I found through Youtube. Shawne Powers has a great quick tutorial here. (Youtube link)

What are the drawbacks of OpenID?

Phishing attacks are a big concern for OpenID users. A phishing attack is where a malicious third party asks to verify your OpenID account and upon verification is then given access to your information. Once the third party has access to your OpenID they can now have access to every website you use OpenID on. However with major backers like Symantec, Microsoft, and Facebook you have to wonder how long this will be an issue.
Another drawback is having to remember a long URL, sometimes it can be quicker to remember your generic log in name and password you use on a daily basis.

Conclusion

OpenID is still relatively young, and has limitless potential. The ability to log into thousands of sites is extremely helpful. Backers like Google, AOL, Symantec, and Microsoft shouldn’t make security issues a problem in the future. OpenID is the most popular form of universal log in, and we should all jump on board as soon as we can.

Change Agen

Digital Media vs. interactive Media

Aren’t those two supposed to be one and the same? Well in a way they are the same thing, but they are both very different. The definition of Interactive media says

“Interactive media is the integration of digital media including combinations of electronic text, graphics, moving images, and sound, into a structured digital computerized environment that allows people to interact with the data for appropriate purposes. The digital environment can include the Internet, telecoms and interactive digital television.”

Bored yet?......me too.

So that’s a lot of words thrown into a definition. Let’s try and sort it out. So what data are we dealing with? Well, you have data such as:

• Music
• Video
• Text
• Pictures/Images

Next let’s sort out who these “Agents of Change” are (basically what fields tend to use this information):

• Law
• IT
• Graphics
• Training/Education
• Journalism
• Broadcasting
• Health Industry
• E-commerce (online business)

Well Brendan I don’t see how these two are connected! I still don’t understand the difference!

Ok so here’s the deal, the data used is considered “digital.” The data is then used by agents of change such as a teacher using a flash presentation to educate her kids. This then becomes interactive for kids they get to click/choose/watch the presentation. They are now interacting with that data the Digital Media has now become Interactive Media.

Are you an Agent of Change???

Yes I personally am an Agent of Change. I use this data on a daily basis, be it image manipulation in Photoshop or using video and text together to create a DVD Menu. I am an Agent of Change (and so can you……yes that was a Stephen Colbert reference.)

What is going to affect you the most as an Agent of Change?

In this continually updating world of Interactive Media, can you really guess what it’s going to be like 10 years from now, or for that matter 5 years from now? Well if you guessed and got it right there’s an opportunity for you to make a ton of money over the next 5-10 years.


My guess is that in the next 5-10 years, television, mobile phones, and the internet will become more interactive than they ever were.


Why TV? Well let’s face it we all have one, we all spend countless hour staring at it like moths to a light. With technologies become smaller cheaper and more interactive TV is bound to become intertwined with the web as well as computers. Wouldn’t it be great to order that Snuggie just by tapping your TV screen.

Why Cell phones? Well currently the US is the smallest consumer of smart phones. This is bound to change as more people demand instant access to their finances, social networking cites, and just the internet in general. As a designer you have to know how to get it to peoples phones.

Why Internet??? Simple……….. BECAUSE EVERYONE USES IT!

Why Blog

So we were asked to research why you should blog. The general answer is to get your voice out there, but digging a little deeper you can find more precise answers.

Examining statistics:

• # of Blog readers in the US: 57 Million.
• # of Blogs: 12 Million.
• Biggest age group: 25-34 year olds.

Stats from Caslon.com

Why Start a Blog for a Business

When it comes to having a business a blog is a great way to market your company. After doing a little research I found two great articles on blogging.

About.com

This article by Susan Gunelius offers some great insight into why you should blog for your business. Here are a few reasons from her point of view.

To Market or Promote Something:

Blogging is a great way to help market or promote yourself or your business, product or service.

To Establish Yourself as an Expert:

Blogs are wonderful tools to help bloggers establish themselves as experts in a field or topic. For example, if you're trying to get a job in a specific field or hoping to publish a book on a specific topic, blogging can help legitimize your expertise and expand your online presence and platform.

Full article here

Commonplaces.com

Harry from commonplaces.com wrote a great business oriented article. Here are a few things he outlines as to why you should blog.

• A blog can be a source of keyword-rich content. What do search engines love? Keyword-rich content.
  
• Blogs are a great medium for connecting with your customers on a more personal level that is possible on your corporate site.
• What makes one-time visitors to your site become regular visitors? Regularly updated content.
• Blogs are a great medium for connecting with your customers on a more personal level that is possible on your corporate site.

Full article here

Why Start a Blog as a Designer

As designers we have to be linked into our field. We have to showcase our skills and theories, as well as defend our designs. What better way to do this than to blog.

Reasons to blog:

• Establish yourself as an expert. Legitimize yourself.
• Connect with other designers out there; you never know what you can pick up just by being connected with colleagues.
• Stay up to date with current events, business like to market events and products take advantage of getting the inside scoop before others.

What to write about in your blog:

Clients and friends alike will be interested in what you are producing. Throw your work onto your blog and let others see, chances are you are already to close to the project and will need an extra pair of eyes to help. Let others get to know you, post blogs about yourself, what you do in your spare time, what things you like. It’s a great way to let clients know who you really are, not just professionally.

Examing Blogging Tools From Around the Net

We were asked to do research on blog sites around the net, Im a total n00b when it comes to blogging so I choose the first 3 I came across:

• Blogger - Here
  
• Wordpress - Here
  
• Typepad - Here
  

I will talk about the features each Blogging site has to offer:

Blogger


When it comes to blogger it has the following to offer:

• The ability to upload video. The video will be hosted by Google Video.
  
• The ability to update your blog from you cellphone, this includes text and photos.
• The ability to update your blog via E-mail.
• Customizable templates and the ability to edit your own HTML.

Overall this was the Blog site I was most impressed with. Slim fast and efficient. Well for me anyways.

WordPress


When it comes to Wordpress the following options are offered:

• Customizable templates and the ability to edit HTML and CSS.
• Embed video from places like Youtube and Hulu
  
• Have an iPhone? Use the Wordpress iPhone app to update your blog on the go.
• Follow stats like web traffic to your blog.

Wordpress offers great themes to choose from and is pretty powerful. But in my view do I really need all that to get my points across?? No not really, I might as well make my own website.

TypePad


TypePad offers the following options:

• Templates to customize, along with custom CSS.
• Ability to add widgets such as your pictures from Flickr
• Logged onto Facebook? You can blog from you Facebook.
• Want your real voice to be heard? Publish your own podcasts.
• Check your blogs traffic and stats.

TypePad seems more oriented to a younger crowd and would be great for the average joe with a few bucks to spare.

Conclusion
After examining these 3 sites, I ended up choosing blogger (obviously.) Why you might ask. Well TypePad requires money to get any type of blog other than a microblog. Wordpress is a little more advanced than I need. Blogger is in that Goldilocks zone, just right for me.

-Bredy