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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 referred |
