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this is when i really got into xml-based
content management. plus i liked the way it generated the navigation for
you. i've been to too many web designers' personal/portfolio sites where the
navigation was either incorrect or broken. xml and scripting solve those
problems for you before they even start. i put a site search function at the
top of each page; even though i think the navigation's fairly
straightforward, a good search engine never hurts. i added the avatars so
that people can have an idea of what to expect if they're meeting me for the first time... in terms of information
architecture, i took my personal and professional life and divided it up
into the most frequently requested categories. in terms of UI design, i
picked bright cheery colors, with black text for readability |
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i put code out here that might be useful to
myself or others. i often put tools out here that my students might be using
too |
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i find myself greeking templates and examples
all the time; i must pull down the lorem ipsum dolor file twice a week, at
least |
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i found it helpful to create a section for
each school i teach at, with a page for each class. this way, the kids can
get their information easily. DU has a blackboard system, but not everyplace
else has seen fit to invest in it |
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this was at the request of a couple of my
female students. there are very few of them in IT, so i thought these
resources might prove helpful |
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my on the job section lists the tools i use
the most frequently. it used to be a pain to have to search all over the
internet for the software i use to set up my working environment everywhere
i go. now i have a handy list; it makes my desktop set up a breeze |
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i have a variety of web development tools and
aids, such as browser sizing guides and test windows in various sizes. even
have all the web safe hues... now if only clients would agree to stick to
that palette! |
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when you test the window sizes, they pop into
new windows with a blank page, so you can put your own URL in |
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i came up with the idea for this so that i
could get a better idea of the limitations of each browser's display area.
very helpful when testing in opera, netscape, firefox, and internet explorer |
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handy tool that converts kb to mb. i had some
wiseacre ask me (seriously) if i would put a tool up there that converted gb
to mb. ok... deep cleansing breaths in... deep cleansing breaths out...! |
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unfortunately, dancing bologna is still
considered good or effective design by some. and what's a personal site
without gratuitous, needless animation? boring, that's what it is! i like
the fake award so much i saved it from 1996 or so. an internet antique... |
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just because this site serves up my resume 24
x 7 doesn't mean it's going to be soulless and boring. i cared about paul, i
miss him a lot, and there will never be another one like him. again, i
changed the template for this section because bright colors weren't
appropriate... especially for a legend of punk like paul decolator |
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i wanted people who visited the site to get a
sense of me as a person. they see tons of resumes every day, but i wanted
them to remember me. that's why i put my pictures up, and have those fun
links on the menu underneath the contents |
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this is a php based photo management tool that
actually is *not* integrated into the site, since the content management
system has its own scripting keywords and there were conflicts. but you'd
never know... |
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the all important portfolio section. i like
the way the content management adjusts the template around the amount of
content that is or isn't there |
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the only way i have to sell myself, other than
the resume. since some of the work i did is either behind password protected
barriers or are intranet sites, i've come to rely on screen captures to
document what projects i've worked on |
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the resume section of the site came about
because i read that recruiters, in an effort to avoid the fee structure of
monster and other recruiting sites, were taking to searching for qualified
candidates through google. so i figured if some of them are doing it, then
i'd better make myself available. i got asked for my word resume so often
that i posted it out on the site too. i can't begin to tell you how helpful
this has been... to the recruiters, of course! |
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the weblog section is a good way for me to
post technical fixes to arcane problems in the hopes that some search engine
will index it and then someone else will stumble across it and it will solve
their issue. and where else could i warble about how much i love crocs? |
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a typical blog entry - they're mostly about my
love/hate relationship with technology... |
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i made a section for my students at the other
school too; they really like being able to pull files off the website and
using the resources |
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the rest of the page - a good place to post
useful links too |
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i added the altavista babel fish translation
plug-in because i noticed i got visitors from all over the world. i like
webrings; i've implemented lots for other websites i administer, so i
thought i'd add a couple to my own. i belong to about a dozen, but i only
display three so it's not too cluttered. i also put site meter into my
templates so i could track who was visiting the site and how they were
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