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DCS-Media provides reviews, techniques, technologies, programming and design tips to help you conduct not just business, but smart business.
Becoming a better developer
Thursday, November 30, 2006 7:28 PM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Developers | Comments: 0
Trying to figure out how to become a better developer? Rob Walling has some suggestions.
We all strive to become better programmers, but one of the more notable things we should strive for is to learn from everyone.
Well, I found someone who has the same beliefs as I do. Rob Walling, over at Software By Rob, has a great series of articles about becoming a better developer (Part 1 starts here). The series is broken into the following articles:
Which tier do you start developing first? Part 2
Thursday, November 30, 2006 8:09 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Developers | Comments: 0
Part 2, in this mini-series, focuses on which tier to start developing first with a legacy application.
In Part 1, I discussed which tier to start developing first when developing an application from scratch. I'm continuing that post with the next question, which tier do you start developing first when you have a legacy application?
Every application written in this world is comprised of one of the following sets of defined tiers:
Free Brainbench Tests until Nov. 30th
Wednesday, November 29, 2006 5:58 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Career | Comments: 0
A large number of free tests so you can certify yourself in the comfort of your own home.
Although most recruiters and businesses are looking more towards experience as opposed to how many certifications you have, Brainbench is offering technology exams for free until November 30th (tomorrow).
Better hurry up and certify yourself. ;-)
Speed Links - Nov-28-2006: Small Business
Tuesday, November 28, 2006 6:30 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Speed Links | Comments: 0
Small Business Speed links for November 28, 2006
- Accessing and Managing Small Business Credit
Bruno Perreault dropped by Duct Tape Marketing's podcast and offered some great tips for small business credit. - How to get referrals
Seth Godin talks about the best ways to get referrals from existing customers. - How to win a Business Award
Anita Campbell over at work.com talks about how you can win business awards and, in my opinion, build credibility. - Bringing a new product to market
Barry Lenson over at "The Donald" blog interviewed David Friend, the President and CEO of Carbonite and found some very interesting lessons that can be applied to every business bringing a new product to market. - Building Customer Loyalty
Three great tips presented over at Business Know-How.
Firefox Issues: Where do I go?
Monday, November 27, 2006 11:00 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Firefox | Comments: 0
If you're receiving an error in Firefox, where do you go for assistance? Mozilla Knowledge Base!
I'm sure everyone has a problem with Firefox crashing once in a while. Hey, it's not perfect, but it's pretty close. :-)
The whole idea behind Firefox is that you have a community who help one another to make the open source browser the best that it can be.
Programmers: Which tier do you start developing first?
Monday, November 27, 2006 4:00 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Developers | Comments: 1
Torn between which tier to start with? I pose this question to most of my interviewees and you'll never guess what a couple programmers have answered.
If you've been programming for a while, you know the different tiers for building an application from scratch. Everyone I've interviewed in the past were asked this question and it's more of a philosophical question, depending on how long you've been in the programming work force:
Based on the given tiers of development, which are defined as the Presentation (GUI), Business Objects (Business Layer), Data Access Layer and/or Database (Data Layer) itself, which tier would you start developing first if you were creating an application from scratch and why? How about converting a legacy application?
For those a little fuzzy on tiered development:
Fireday - Firefox Extension Reviews for November 24, 2006
Friday, November 24, 2006 4:00 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Fireday | Comments: 0
This week: Dai.sy, Quiz Addicts Toolbar, and GUTil!
Welcome Firefoxers to the Thanksgiving edition. As it turns out, I thought Mr. Hewitt was releasing the 1.00 version of Firebug this week, but I was wrong. It won't be released until it's goes into beta, which may be a while. :-)
Anyway, let's get started...
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 22, 2006 5:01 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: News | Comments: 0
Count all of your blessings and give thanks for what you have.
Here we are.
Gifts for the Mobile Professional
Monday, November 20, 2006 9:00 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: General | Comments: 0
Now we're talking some gifts!
For those who don't know what to get their loved ones who they don't see often or the ones who they do see more often than normal (<bg>), I'm sure whoever they are, if they're a gadgeteer, they would love some awesome technology for Christmas.
Fast Company has a list of great gadgets for the mobile professional who travels a lot. The gifts are a little pricey except for the software, but for those who are looking for the unique gift, this is a good starter list.
Black Friday deals abound!
Monday, November 20, 2006 6:00 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: News | Comments: 0
Great deals are all around us as Thanksgiving Day inches closer.
Well, as Thanksgiving inches closer, we see the loads of ads that retail stores are prepping for Black Friday.
For those who want to get a jump on things, there is one web site in particular everyone is going to this year and it's the Black Friday web site.
Fireday - Firefox Extensions for November 17, 2006
Friday, November 17, 2006 6:00 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Fireday | Comments: 0
This Week: Firebug, bioFOX, and MediaPlayerConnectivity
Hey, Firefoxers! Sorry about last week. I was suffering from some technical issues and I wasn't feeling very well. Now, everything is rocking right along and we are on the lookout for some new extensions.
Here we go...
20/20: Top 20 Programming Lessons I've Learned in 20 Years
Thursday, November 16, 2006 5:30 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Business Lessons | Comments: 11
This post could be viewed as hard lessons learned for newly graduated college students, entry-level programmers, or advanced developers who just want a chuckle.
I've been programming since I was 11 and I've loved technology and programming every since. There are some hard and easy lessons I've learned over time. As a fellow programmer, you may not have experienced these, but I'm offering them to individuals who are interested in learning more from my experiences.
I'll be updating this as time goes on. I may have more, but in my 20 year period, I don't think there are any additional rules that this list doesn't include. :-)
How to build a Skype Server for your home phone system
Wednesday, November 15, 2006 11:30 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: HowTo | Comments: 0
If you have a PC sitting around at home, you can convert it into a Skype phone system and cut the cord.
After building my custom TiVo, I started looking at the phone bill. Hmmm...How can I create a phone system? I swear, there are times in my life when things are put in front of me for a reason.
Andrew Sheppard over at Linux Journal posted an article about how to Build a Skype Server for your home phone system. For those who don't know what Skype is, bottom line: it's a free Vonage. According to the article, the Linux phone system has saved him about $700 for an entire year or 82% off his current phone bill. I'm up for that!
Dojo Smooth Scrolling
Wednesday, November 15, 2006 8:30 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: JavaScript | Comments: 0
Smooth Scrolling is now implemented in Dojo
Giving credit where credit is due...It seems Ajaxian is becoming the place for any Dojo news coming out. :-)
Heng Liu has developed a smooth scroller into Dojo and even provided a test page. The code is very simple to implement.
Speed Links - Nov-14-2006: Designer
Tuesday, November 14, 2006 6:30 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Speed Links | Comments: 0
Designer Speed Links for Tuesday
- Photoshop Tutorial: Polished Text
Looking to get that shimmering gloss on your text? - Super Easy Blendy Backgrounds
Matthew O'Neill discusses this known technique on how to use your favorite graphics package to create awesome gradient backgrounds. - Great Fonts for Web 2.0
Nice site that displays the Web 2.0 fonts which look awesome when paired with exceptional web applications. However, no place to download them from... - 1200 Downloadable Fonts
...but you can look for similar fonts here if you like. :-) - How to create a Web 2.0 badge in Fireworks
Here's a way to make those cool badges for your Web 2.0 site... - How to make a Web 2.0-style logo.
...and here is how to make an accompanying logo to go with your badge. - How to create "Dreamy" Photos
bikeracer over at Flickr has a mini-tutorial on how to create dreamy photos. - CSS-Designed Forms Library
Here is a library of some visually-appealing web forms using CSS. Some are very inspiring.
Firefox and IE Tip: Mouse Scroll to make your text larger
Monday, November 13, 2006 9:00 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Firefox | Comments: 1
Quick tip to make your text larger on the screen without any of the fancy "make my text bigger" JavaScript.
For those who incorporate a small, medium, large JavaScript technique on their site, you only have a limited number of choices on the screen.
To make the text on your site bigger, hold down the CTRL key and use the middle mouse (scroller) to scroll...slowly!
What's a Mashup?
Monday, November 13, 2006 6:15 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Web 2.0 | Comments: 0
Mashups provide a great opportunity for startups.
When I first experienced Google Maps, I thought this was a cool idea and started looking through the source going "How did they do that?" (Yes, I'm a geek).
Then I started seeing other sites providing the same type of effect through AJAX. Now, it seems everyone has an API (Application Programming Interface) to their outstanding website.
You know your addicted to coding when...
Friday, November 10, 2006 5:00 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Humor | Comments: 0
Good list of programming addictions. :-)
If you are a programmer/developer, here's a list to find out how you know your addicted to coding.
Good Friday diversion.
Fireday will return next week.
Friday, November 10, 2006 4:00 AM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Fireday | Comments: 0
Fireday will be back next week with more Firefox Extension Reviews.
Fireday will be back next week because of some technical difficulties this week.
Sorry for the inconvenience. See ya next week.
4 Seconds Load Time is all you have!
Thursday, November 09, 2006 2:00 PM
Posted by Jonathan Danylko | Tag: Usability | Comments: 0
A 4-second load time is all you have to show something to your users.
Ref: Slashdot - Based on a recent retail research report, if your web site doesn't load in 4 seconds or less, your visitors will leave before they even get to the site.
For most techno-geeks, 4 seconds isn't long, but everyone wants fast-loading web pages regardless of what is on your site.
