Archive for Februar, 2009
How to organise heavy workload – Part 1 – The Morning …
So far the recession has spared me. In the contrary, the goals I have set myself for this year are likely to be dwarfend if the pace of the first two months of this year continues. About a week ago, Gordon from eWrite wrote a post about “Learning the time management thing“. Joining this, I want to tell you about my approach to the same problem.
Beginning the day
My day usualy begins before dawn, as I like the peace and quite for reading my mails and news. No phone, no skype or icq and even twitter is kinda quite. Just me and my mug of sweet and strong caffee latte.
First thing of course are my mail. I use googlemail with some labs and greasemonkey extensions. I addition to the not-to-bad gmail spam filters, i also have some tight server filters, which keep my spam load pretty low at roughly 150-200 per day. About three or four spam show up in my inbox, while I have about the same amount of false positives in my junk folder, which i check and sweep regularely two to tree times a day.
I organise my mail by using the “Superstars” and “Custom Label Colours” from GMail Labs, every client has its own star/color. Importantly I only keep current mails i have to look after in my inbox, everything else is moved to the archive. To consequently do so, I use GMail Labs “Send & Archive”. I addition to that I use the Greasemonkey “Folders4Gmail” plugin and some Gmail Filters to label my mail corresponding to my customers, so I have easy access, even when archived. I also use the Gmail search function a lot.
Next, I read my rss-feed. I follow a lot of SEO related blog and even if the subjects seem to be similar or comming up again and again in regular intervalls, i still find some interesting posts in between. I have also set up some google alerts, to monitor my presence on the web. When I find a post I like and want to read it later, I usually grab it with Evernote. If its a new blog I find worth following, i use my google reader and when it’s just an URL with e.g. a tool of some sort, I bookmark it with delicious.com. I use the same procedure, when I look through the twits I get over night.
After having cought up with the over nights stream of information, I move on to organising my day …
No more Support for Microsoft Internet Explorer 6
Yesterday was one of those days, where I had to put up with the odds of the IE6 again. It wrecked my head, even having found different handy solutions for e.g. using PNG, it is still a major act to get it right. It used to be a challenge, but it has become a nuisance, so with effect of tomorrow, the 1st of March 2009, we will no longer be supporting the IE6 in web design.
The Internet Explorer 6 was developed in 2001, but since, the Internet has completely move beyond the IE6. The Internet Explorer 6 is in fact probably the worst browser ever. Just to list the two most important of its oddities:
- Barely supports the current standards in XHTML and CSS
- No native support for PNG Graphics
If we, the web developers and designer do not stop the support of IE6, nobody will. A lot of companies still use this old piece of software junk, because we still provide nice looking sites for it. Mostly at our or our clients costs. Why should they bother with the expensive roll-out of some proper Browser?
So what are the consequences?
Sites we design by standard will not be tweeked anymore to look exactly the same in IE6 and if they break completely, we will provide a text-only version by unsing a special CSS-Stylesheet. I addition, of course, we will offer the possibility of downloading a state-of-the-art browser of your choice.
It’s the clients choice
Some clients will insist to still have support for the IE6 and if our strong recommendations do not suffice, we will inplement IE6 support at additional costs.
Alternatives
What to do if Googlemail is down?
Posted on Februar 25, 2009, under General, Knowledgebase.
Go and have a walk, relax and enjoy life … Just kidding. Of course some of us just can’t afford this luxury, so we would have to think of another way of dealing with such a problem.
I have been Using GMail now for over a year and I don’t want to miss it. I used to use Microsoft Outlook, but after using it for may years – even though I really enjoy the Interface of Outlook 2007 – I wanted to move on and free myself from the overpower of Microsoft. On important fact for me was, that I needed top access my mail from anywhere, so it had to be a web-based solution. I had tried Yahoo Mail for a while but it wasn’t the optimum. I then got invited to Googlemail. After using it for a while I decided, that this was what I wanted. Since, GMail it has been updated, I have installed a few Greasemonkey extensions, and I am using some of the Google Mail Labs features, so I have a nice customised mail client, that exactly fits my needs.
Yesterday Googlemail broke. For about two hours I (and the rest of the world) was not able to use my mail. I could access it, as I had installed the Google Offline Mail Feature, but i could neither receive nor send mail.
Today I set up my good old Outlook as a backup solution. Using IMAP I can now in such emergencies still use my Mail. You can of course use whatever mail client you want, just set it up for IMAP: use your Googlemail Address (including @gmail.com) as user name, your password and the following Server:
- imap.googlemail.com (incoming mail server)
- smtp.googlemail.com (outgoing mail server)
You will also have to configure your mailclient to use SSL, as Google only allows a secure access to Gmail. Go to Advanced setting (or where ever you set it up) and use SSL with IMAP PORT 993 and SMTP Port 465. Thats it.
TuesdayPush: PutPlace.com
I have been looking for a backup solution for a while, but so far they have been to slow, to bulky (to handle) or to expensive. For me it is very important, that I can set it up in an easy way and then forget about it. I messed arount with NT Backup for a while, but got rid of it, as the configuration of backup sets and schedule plans is a PITA in itself. Also it was never really a proper backup, as my backup medium was an external HDD sitting right next to my computer in the same office. So in case of a robbery or fire it wasn’t really usefull anyway. As security measures for HDD failures I am using a RAID1 anyway, since i had a headcrash during a project years ago.
So today I heard about PutPlace.com through the TuesdayPush and had to test it straight away.I signed up to the 30-day trial period, downloaded the desktop software, chose the folders I wanted to backup and that was it… now I am waiting for my initial upload of … uhm … 5.66 GB to complete in 6 days 
What I really like about it, is that it backs up my stuff in the background, so i do not have to worry about schedules and it’s done realtime.
It really looks like a great and very affordable solution and I am pretty sure, that I will sign up to the bronze package for 40,-€ / year after the 30-days trial. I will post some more info, in a few days, when the initial upload is complete.
Import/Export Tools for XT:Commerce
The last few days have been very exciting, as we were able to finish, test and release the Import/Export Tools for XT:Commerce we have been developing over the last weeks for a customer.
The in-built import/export possibilities of XT:Commerce are rather simple and do not really work, as they dump some undocumented csv file, and that only for products. Even the apparently existing interface to the German accountancy software Faktura is not really working as there are several problems, e.g. regarding the import/export of graduated prices.
The goal was to implement a rather simple, but effective way of importing and exporting complex data, as well as generating some reports.
Import/Exports in detail:
- Graduated Prices, including manufacturer, packaging units, weight and display sort order
- Multilingual product information, such as product name, long and short description, search keywords, meta title, meta description and meta keywords. This procedure contains additional routines of filtering and converting html code and entities, as well as filling in e.g. search keywords to meta keywords, if the latter are not provided.
- Inventory, for stock taking purposes
- Product status, for quickly shutting of or activating certain articles
Another feature is that the system can set up “empty” products by importing a list of model numbers and names. Further more the system can generate lists showing how many pictures there are per product or what media are attached to what product.
As a faulty import can shut down your shop, extra security measures are taken, such as an automatic backup before import, using Mysqldumper
The software is available as open source, but as it needs to be customised and set up (no routine yet), I am not sure how I will make this software available, for now you can contact us if your interested …
SERP Monitoring “achill island” on Google – 16.02.2009
In General this week there have been only minor changes in positions, over all most of the sites stayed in exactly the same place as last week. On the Other hand we have seen really big movers and also quite a few pages that appeared for the first time. The overall number of results has also increased to more than 600.
Weekley Google SERP Report “achill island”
Our “green” conscience – thoughts about an ecological company policy
Yesterday I found out, that one of my “irish” customers is still doing back-yard burning. It was even more shocking to see that – beeing of western continental european origin – he apparently has adapted far too well to the, what used to be typical, country-side way of life. I am well aware that the origins of this problem are due mainly to the lack of waste-disposal services in remote areas of the island and in result of that the high costs of organising your own.
Now of course you could ask, what does it have to do with me? But the question sould be: Does it not have to do with us all? I believe it has, and if we all did more about it in our proximate surrounding, things would change. We have a responsibility … well, I have … at least for my three kids.
So the question that comes up for me is: Do I want to support and work with people that give a s**t about our environment? – The answer is simple: NO, I DON’T!
Some people might not understand, putting profits first among other things. There are also surely a load of “yes, but”-s, to answer. But I can, out if my own experience, tell you this:
- There is a solution out there to every problem
- Short-term profits should never come first and
- (last but not least) Yes, we can!
So for me the concludion ist clear: My company policy from now on will be not to work for or with other companies or people, that have no green conscience.
Westnet brings Wimax Broadband to Achill
As we learned today, the company Westnet has installed a WiMAX base station covering the west end of Achill island. This means that what the NBS, as we reported a few days ago, will not accomplish has now been realised by a private company.
Westnet is testing it over the next couple of weeks and will be making services available very soon.
The solution from covers most home internet uses, supports general internet access, gaming, chat and can connect to a small home network. It has a symmetric up- and download speed of 512kb/s with a contention ratio 24 : 1, There are no monthly limits in data transfer, no hidden costs and no phoneline is required. You also get free equipment rental, which includes the radio transmitter/receiver, including cables, modem and power supply. The One-off engineer installation fee €200.00 incl. VAT
If you are interested in this offer, Paul Cunnane, CEO of Westnet will be present at the 1st Mayo Open Coffee Club on the 25th of November, 11:30 am in the Royal Theatre Pub in Castlebar.
1st Mayo Open Coffee Club – February 25th, 2009 – 11.30am – Castlebar
The
1st Meeting of the
Mayo Open Coffee Club
will be taking place on the
25th of February 2009
at 11.30am.
in the Royal Theatre Pub
The location is not decided yet, but it will be either Days Hotel Restaurant “The Harlequin” or the Royal Theatre Pub. We will have an informal get-together and discuss how we can promote the MOCC further. I also wish to find one or two more co-organisers, just in case …
SERP Monitoring “achill island” on Google – 09.02.2009
First Page
Number in brackets, showing last weeks position
1. www.achilltourism.com (1)
3. www.achill-island.com (3)
5. www.visitachill.com (6)
7. www.achill247.com (5)
9. www.achillproperty.com (8)
Last 5 Results
Number in brackets, showing last seen position
497. www.d0okinella-pipeband.com (-)
459. www.achillholidayhomes.com (470)
436. www.bervieachill.com (-)
427. www.achillcamping.com (435)
418. www.realtnamara.com (449)
New in the List
204. www.achillpottery.com
354. www.thesaulagallery.com
436. www.bervieachill.com
497. www.dookinella-pipeband.com
Not in the List this Week
Number in brackets, showing last seen position
www.achill-surf.com (444)
Winner of the Week
Number in brackets, showing last weeks position
168. www.achill-online.net (279) +111
88. www.redfoxpress.com (198) +110
342. www.achillcottage.com (399) +57
30. www.achill-ireland.com (52) +22
Looser of the Week
Number in brackets, showing last weeks position
187. www.thesandybanks.com (89) -98
104. www.achillbliss.com (60) -44
340. www.kerndter.eu (314) -26
101. www.art-gallery-ireland.com -20
