Here’s our first Jamboola project – Web2Block Directory!
It is community-driven project, so feel free to contribute or donate to this project! Let’s grow it big for our common use!
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Note: This article intends to become one of the most important resources for company/corporate/organization system or network administrators. It contains the list of the web-sites that must be blocked/filtered by them in order to prevent the employees/students/members from accessing restricted/blocked online resources.
deny url “http://www.tfcco.com”
deny url “http://lframeurl.biz”
deny url “http://beehappyy.biz”
deny url “http://unionseek.com”
deny url “http://dhl.conferencing.com”
deny url “http://ybrvhgwuzc.biz”
deny url “http://www.hi5.com”
deny server-domain myspace.com
deny server-domain mailtracker.us
deny server-domain plentyoffish.com
deny server-domain z3n.phatcamp.org
deny server-domain x.xerro.net
deny server-domain x.pennysheet.com
deny server-domain x.sans-security.org
deny server-domain xnet.phatcamp.org
deny server-domain x.xerro.net
deny server-domain crusade.godhatesfags.com
deny server-domain x.rofflewaffles.us
deny server-domain poll.gotomypc.com
deny server-domain murraysz.cn
deny server-domain cqcqcqcq.com
deny server-domain www.haogs.cn
deny server-domain user.free.77169.net
deny server-domain www.h148.cn
deny server-domain www.down988.cn
deny server-domain hlplace.com
deny server-domain www.tanzatl.org
deny server-domain aecv.ch
deny server-domain mixi.jp
deny server-domain ircd.zief.pl
deny server-domain bermynet.com
deny server-domain blackandcoke.com
deny server-domain hi5.com
deny server-domain vybezalliance.com
deny server-domain facebook.com
deny server-domain miniclip.com
deny server-domain youtube.com
deny server-domain asoboo.com
deny server-domain runescape.com
deny server-domain bebo.com
deny server-domain xanga.com
dailymotion.com
1. http://www.hinduunity.org
2. http://mypetjava.mu.nu
3. http://pajamaeditors.blogspot.com
4. http://exposingtheleft.blogspot.com
5. http://thepiratescove.us
6. http://commonfolkcommonsense.blogspot.com
7. http://bamapachyderm.com
8. http://prinesskimberly.blogspot.com
9. http://merrimusings.typepad.com
10. http://mackers-world.com
11. http://dalitstan.com
12. http://hinduhumanrights.org/hindufocus.html
13. http://nndh.com (fax scan unclear, could be wrong)
14. http://bloodroyaltriped.com
15. http://imagesearch.yahoo.com
16. http://imamali8.com
17. http://rahulyadav.com
(wsfilter “Adult Material” or wsfilter “Adult Content” or wsfilter “Lingerie and Swimsuit” or wsfilter “Nudity” or wsfilter “Sex” or wsfilter “Sex Education” or wsfilter “Gambling” or wsfilter “Hacking” or wsfilter “Proxy Avoidance” or wsfilter “Racism and Hate” or wsfilter “Security PG” or wsfilter “Keyloggers” or wsfilter “Malicious Web Sites” or wsfilter “Phishing and Other Frauds” or wsfilter “Spyware”)
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You have got new web-site and it became popular quickly. Already there are many incoming links pointing to it. But in Google search it is not being returned in earlier pages or not at all and its Google Ranking is very low?! (which should not happen according to Google’s Pagerank formula)
Now what’s the problem?!
There’s no problem, it’s just some delay from Google’s side. Google supposedly puts it into “sandbox” for 8-9 months. Due to its Ageing Delay policy for the new web-sites. After the delay, it will give the actual rank to the site.
Here you can read interesting discussion about Sandbox Test and analysis.
Here you can learn how many incoming links / backlinks / IBLs (the links pointing to your web-site or web-page) your site has.
MSN and Yahoo! search doesn’t have such policy, so your new web-sites ranking will be higher there.
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How to build a bulletproof startup? (Russian version here)
Got a great idea? There’s never been a better time to turn it into a great company. Here’s a 16-step guide to help you do it right.
(Business 2.0 Magazine) – It’s the spring of 2006, and the sweet scent of entrepreneurship is in the air. Growing numbers of Americans are pursuing their startup dreams. According to the National Venture Capital Association, seed-level VC funding nearly doubled in 2005. This year, based on current trends, it could double again. In Delaware, the country’s incorporation capital, new business formation was up 19 percent last year, the highest one-year growth rate on record.
In other words, there’s never been a better time to start your own company. New technologies are creating new business opportunities on the Internet, on mobile phones, in consumer products, and in information services. At the same time, many of these technologies have radically reduced the costs associated with launching a new venture. In the late 1990s, a typical VC-funded startup needed roughly $10 million to amass the infrastructure and staff required to carry the company from its first business plan to its first product launch. Today that cost has been reduced to just $4 million–and in many cases way, way less. The barriers to entry have never been lower.
While birthing a company is easier, succeeding is as difficult as ever. The general rule in the investment community is that only about a third of all startups ever turn a profit. Another third limp along at a break-even level, and the rest end in failure. Top among the reasons young companies fail are problems such as incorrect market focus and misguided executive leadership. With that in mind, we wanted you to have all the benefit of hard-earned experience without having to actually endure the pain of making your own mistakes. We spoke to dozens of experts–seasoned entrepreneurs, early-stage investors, venture capitalists, and first-time CEOs–to understand what they’ve learned about the art of getting a new company off the ground. Then we set out to create a set of blueprints describing just how to do it.
There are no guarantees in the world of entrepreneurship. But there is a right way to go about it, and we’ve mapped the process out for you here. As for the rest–well, that’s entirely up to you. You can thank us later.
Phase One Establish a Company
$$$ Required: $15K to $25K
Your role as a spectator who merely watches as other adventurous souls launch their own startups is about to end. The decisions you make at this early stage of the game will do much to shape the long-term destiny of your venture. Most of all, don’t procrastinate. If you don’t act on your burst of business insight, someone else surely will.
Tools you’ll need:
Whiteboard: Treat it like an incubator for your best thinking. Write. Revise. Erase. Repeat.
Mobile phone: The one you have is fine, but make sure you’ve signed up for 1,000 prepaid minutes.
New credit card: American Express’s Platinum Business offers zero percent interest for six months.
Accounting software: Nothing fancy for now. QuickBooks Simple Start does the trick for $50.
Step 1. Stress-Test Your Big Idea
Objective: Debug and perfect your business brainstorm.
You have a brilliant idea. It’s shrewd. It’s timely. You think about it so much it keeps you up at night. It might even make you rich. There’s just one thing left to do: Make sure it really has legs. The only way to do that is by bouncing your idea off as many people as possible. Friends and family probably can’t provide the critical insight you need.
Track down at least a dozen people with expertise in the market you intend to enter. You want candor and honesty, not diplomacy. Understanding why your idea is flawed is as useful as knowing that it’s pure genius. Many will likely express support, but the real question is this: Would they pay money for your proposed product? Use each conversation to sharpen how you explain what your company will sell–if you can’t describe the product clearly and concisely, how can you possibly sell it? Finally, before saying goodbye, always get the name of another person with whom you can discuss your idea.
Words of wisdom:
“People pooh-poohed our idea for more than a year. We took that to mean either we weren’t explaining it well or we were dead wrong. Yet the more we studied the problem, the more clear it became that we weren’t wrong. What you forget–because you’ve been living and breathing this idea for so long–is that others may not see what’s obvious to you. You need to connect the dots for them. We did that by finding a metaphor that explained what our company would do.” — Gibu Thomas, CEO and co-founder of personal media synchronization startup Sharpcast
Step 2. Build Your Founding Team
Objective: Join forces with other execs to navigate the challenges ahead.
Starting a company isn’t just a full-time job; in many cases, it’s three full-time jobs. The ideal founding team is a triumvirate that includes an ace technologist, a big strategic thinker, and a dealmaker who focuses on sales and marketing. Although everyone must have relevant industry experience, a good Rolodex, and the willingness to wear many hats, trust and good judgment are the most essential ingredients.
Expectations should be clearly laid out, and the founders’ financial interests should be mutually aligned. “You need to feel confident that your co-founder will fight for a deal as hard as you would,” says Dan Gould, co-founder of online news aggregator Newroo. It’s tempting to partner with good friends, but that’s not necessarily a pathway to success. In fact, it’s dangerous–under the stress of running a business, your friendship will surely be tested and quite possibly destroyed.
Tip: Five Qualities to Look for in a Co-Founder
1. Loyalty to the business idea.
2. Honesty, including the ability to acknowledge errors and mistakes.
3. Versatility to focus on more than one aspect of the company.
4. Connections and the ability to attract talent to the team.
5. Flexibility in the face of changing circumstances.
Step 3. Draft a Business Plan
Objective: Map out the market and explain how you fit in it.
A business plan is neither a core asset nor a sacred text. It’s just a tool to help focus your ideas and a conceptual summary to share with potential investors, advisers, and employees. The business plan sells your vision for the company: why it’s viable, why it’s better than anything else out there, and why your team has what it takes to make it happen. It should also detail key factors that relate to the company–target markets, goals, product attributes, revenue projections, competitive differentiators, and founders’ resumes.
Visit the Small Business Administration’s website (www.sba.gov) or Bplans.com for an overview of the structure and components of a typical business plan, as well as links to dozens of sample plans. But the most important thing is a well-honed executive summary that’s no more than three pages long. Grab the reader’s attention by starting with a simple two-sentence description of your company and what it will do. (Rest assured, you’ll use those two sentences often.) And no matter what, don’t fall in love with your business plan–it’ll change many times in the months ahead.
Things to avoid: Four common business plan mistakes
1. Asking potential investors to sign a nondisclosure agreement. It’s a rookie move. Besides, they won’t sign anyway.
2. Spending too much time describing the market. Instead, provide lots of detail on your strategy to dominate it.
3. Making wildly optimistic projections and assumptions. Nothing will get the door slammed in your face faster. Save the hockey sticks for the NHL.
4. Exaggerating your experience. They’ll eventually learn the truth, and when they do, your credibility will be compromised. Permanently.
Step 4. Play the Name Game
Objective: Give your startup a handle that works.
What’s in a name? Plenty. It will make a first impression, carry brand equity, and provide a foundation for every marketing effort you’ll ever launch. Naming gurus like David Placek of Lexicon Branding argue that startups should look for names that are either simple and easy to understand (like Salesforce.com) or quirky and memorable (like Google).
Some names combine the two: Narendra Rocherolle settled on 30Boxes, an easy-to-remember name for his calendaring startup that also alludes to a monthly datebook. But creativity is only part of the naming challenge; there are legal concerns as well. Before you become attached to any name, check the U.S. government’s trademark website (www.uspto.gov) to make sure no company serving an overlapping market has staked out a similar moniker. You don’t need a lawyer to file a trademark of your own, but the $500 to $700 you’ll spend for a professional trademark search–from a company like Thomson CompuMark–is a smart investment before you sign papers that make your name official.
Tip: Become master of your domain.
About 30 million new dotcom domain names are registered each month. Which means that coming up with a name for your company and matching it to an available Internet domain is very difficult. Check Instantdomainsearch.com to see what’s available. If your preferred domain is in use, you have three choices:
1. Adapt. In the Google age, it’s not quite as important to get a URL that exactly matches your company name. Come up with a relevant adaptation, like acmewidget.com, instead of just acme.com. The Nameboy.com website generates lists of available permutations.
2. Buy from a broker. Some names are owned by squatters who sell online real estate through brokerage services run by popular domain-name registrars. Prices range from $10 to the tens of thousands. Discounters like GoDaddy.com and 1and1.com offer brokerage services, as do Networks Solutions and Register.com.
3. Make an offer. If your desired name is already in use by an individual, politely inquire about buying it. Tony Conrad, co-founder of search company Sphere, spent months tracking down the owner of Sphere.com, which he then bought in exchange for cash and equity. “The equity was the important part, because it allowed [the former owner] to stay connected to the name,” Conrad says. If cash is your only currency, don’t overpay: $25,000 should be your absolute top end.
Step 5. Incorporate Thyself
Objective: Adopt the corporate form that’s best for your growth plans.
Your startup may consist of just a few warm bodies crammed into a living room, but you still need to establish it as a legal entity. A formal corporate structure solidifies the standing of the founders and provides potential investors with the assurances they need to participate in the company’s financial evolution. Incorporation also provides tax benefits and all-important liability protection. Hire an experienced lawyer who specializes in setting up startups–many will even defer payment until the first round of financing. If your lawyer likes your business plan, he or she may also become a crucial source for later introductions.
The fine print: What’s Right for You Inc.
There are three main types of incorporation. Here’s how to figure out which is most appropriate.
S Corportaion: Fine if you don’t plan to raise money from outside angels or VCs. Only one class of stock is allowed. Taxed at a lower rate than larger corporations, but enjoys the same liability benefits.
Limited Liability Company: Functions like an S-corp, but with no outside shareholders. A good choice for professional services firms that don’t need to solicit investment. Can be converted to a C-corp later.
C Corporation: Preferred by most medium-size to large companies. Allows for multiple classes of stock (a common requirement for angel and VC investors). Taxation rates for C-corps are higher than for S-corps.
Phase Two Prototype the Product
$$$ Required: $100K to $500K
A prototype is where the rubber starts to hit the road: It’s the first physical embodiment of your business idea, and a tool you’ll use to attract the resources you need to grow. Don’t confuse a prototype with the final product–a distracting and potentially fatal mistake. Pretty looks aren’t important. A good prototype is just a working demonstration that showcases what your product will do. Show your finished prototype to a dozen or so potential customers and investors who can validate your idea, define key features, and guide your product development.
Tools you’ll need:
Spec-document software: Omni Outliner and Microsoft Visio simplify writing product definitions.
Development server: Lease one for $300 a month from a Web hosting company like ServerBeach.
Collaberaton tools: Basecamp is a cheap Web-based application for sharing files and documents.
VOIP Calling service: Skype is a free application that lets you make long-distance calls from your PC.
Step 1. Stake Out Intellectual Property
Objective: Avoid infringing on others patents and secure some of your own.
Patents and patent law are a major headache for tech and Web-based startups, so you’ll want legal guidance. Gordon Davidson, a partner with Fenwick & West in Mountain View, Calif., warns that the most important thing is to avoid falling afoul of a “blocking patent”–one that defies any engineering work-arounds. Just ask Research in Motion, maker of the BlackBerry, how onerous that can be.
As you start to share your ideas with outsiders, you also want to protect your intellectual property. For that, consider filing for a provisional patent; it doesn’t require the formal claims of a full patent but allows you to lay claim to an idea as “patent pending.” Submitting a provisional patent application costs about $200 if you do it yourself, while a full patent application costs $12,000 to $15,000, including legal fees.
The fine print: Patent Law 101
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will grant a patent to any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, or new and useful improvement thereof. Confused? Just remember there are two main types of patents:
Technology patents describe and protect how a particular device, mechanism, or software program works–the classic “better mousetrap.”
Business process patents describe and protect a mechanism for making money and how it interacts with underlying technologies. Amazon.com holds such a patent for its one-click shopping feature.
Step 2. Create an Advisory Board
Objective: Formalize the network of people who can help you most.
Your advisory board is a group of six to 12 people who will provide expertise in the industry you hope to tackle, useful connections, potential funding, or (ideally) all three. At this early stage, it makes sense to load the board with people who can provide technical insight about your product, but you’ll also want a few startup veterans who can answer questions about running a young company. In exchange for equity in the company–typically 0.1 to 1 percent–you should expect at least four hours a month of their time. Avoid big group meetings; they’re inefficient. Instead, bring in specific advisers for task-oriented discussions as needed.
Words of wisdom:
“We wouldn’t be here today without the advisers we picked specifically for their expertise in our technology. They led me to my co-founder and CTO and were able to help on technical issues. It doesn’t work to bring on general, name-brand technology people as advisers. They end up frustrated that they don’t have much to contribute, and though you think they’ll impress potential investors, they don’t.” — MUNJAL SHAH, CEO and co-founder of photo search startup Riya
Step 3. Build Your Prototype
Objective: Take your product out for its first test-drive.
Prototyping is an iterative process. Start simple, with a basic mock-up, artist’s rendering, or Photoshop screen shots. Show these to a few potential customers and use their feedback to define the specifications of your working prototype. Hire independent contractors if you need specialized expertise to build or code the thing, but it’s best to stay local. You’ll be gathering input on a daily basis and making revisions almost as often, so you’ll want your contractors nearby–in town, if not under your roof. Keep them close, but be paranoid. Your attorney should draw up confidentiality agreements and noncompete clauses; make all contractors sign them.
Tip: Finding Contract Talent
Design: Scour local schools. The American Institute of Graphic Arts (www.aiga.org) and Creative Hotlist (www.creativehotlist.com) list designers looking for work.
Hardware: If you need help with the electronic, mechanical, or physical configuration of your prototype, try the directory at Coroflot (www.coroflot.com) to find freelance professionals.
Software: You can post jobs to Craigslist, Dice.com, Monster.com, and SimplyHired.com. Marketplaces like Elance, IPswap, and RentACoder match talent with projects.
Parts List
Prototyping Essentials
Design and photo editing: GIMP is an excellent and free alternative to expensive programs like Adobe Photoshop.
Product design: QCad is an open-source, 2-D computer-aided design package that sells site licenses for $260.
Collaboraton software: Subversion is an open-source tool for tracking changes in files or code.
Searching for angels: What to look for in early-stage investors.
The right time to raise the first round of money varies from startup to startup. Some companies–mostly software or Web-based ventures–need little cash to get off the ground. But if you’re building a physical product, you’ll be looking for funding earlier in the game. That’s where angel investors come in: Unlike venture capitalists, who usually wait until a company has a working product, they specialize in early-stage startups.
The main thing to understand is that not all money is the same. Friends and family are a natural place to start, but keep their investments modest to avoid throwing your relationships off balance. Never take investments from anyone who is not a so-called accredited investor–an individual with a net worth of at least $1 million. Remember, it’s not just money you want; you also want brainpower, connections, and experience. “You always want at least one heavy hitter in an angel round,” says veteran Silicon Valley angel Jeff Clavier. Instead of treating their investment as a loan, some angels may expect a stake in your company, so set aside 10 to 15 percent of your equity to allocate among early-stage investors. Get used to giving away ownership: In a venture-funded startup, the original founders may ultimately retain as little as 5 to 10 percent of the original equity.
Phase Three Develop the Beta Product
$$$ Required: $500K to $1M
If a prototype is the first manifestation of your big idea, the beta transforms it into a product you might actually sell. The focus here is on usability and design. Your task is to create something so simple, so powerful, and so effective that people beg to become beta testers. As you amass comments and feedback, look for opportunities to simplify production and keep your cost structure lean–that’s much harder to do after the product is released.
Tools you’ll need:
Entreprise-level e-mail: Providers like the Message Center offer hosted exchange service for about $10 a month per user.
Phone service: A hosted system from M5 Networks costs about $50 a month per extension for unlimited calling.
T-1 Broadband: $500 per month buys you heavy-duty service from a provider such as AT&T, Covad, or Verizon Business.
Feedback collection: SurveyMonkey is a handy tool for setting up online questionnaires and compiling user comments. Prices start at $20 per month.
Step 1. Start Staffing Up
Objective: Build the core team that will carry you into the future.
You’re ready to make some permanent (or semipermanent) hires. For most startups, the bulk of your hiring here will be technical–people who can get your product to beta. Although it’s shrewd to source talent globally, your core product-development team should be local. Enthusiasm is a precious commodity; look for people who are excited about your planned product. Hire the best you can afford, but as a general rule, Silicon Valley startups assume a burn-rate cost of $11,000 per person per month.
Tips:
Better Living Across Time Zones
Contract talent is a global commodity, but location matters if you want to avoid middle-of-the-night teleconferences. On the East Coast, that means hiring in Eastern Europe, where the end of their workday corresponds to the middle of yours. West Coast companies should opt for China and India, where your day ends as theirs is getting started.
Where to Find Workers
Contracting: Part-timers can help get a company started, but director-level staff should be permanent hires. Always visit new overseas contractors to launch the relationship. Nasscom.org provides listings of India’s top outsourcing shops. Russoft.org does the same for Eastern Europe.
Recruiting: Job boards can be useful, but old-fashioned networking often yields better results. When you interview, go with your gut: If the potential hire doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.
Poaching: Snatching workers away from rivals is ideal for adding sales staff or senior-level talent. You’ll need to offer better compensation than they have now, but the most effective lure is the opportunity for them to put their stamp on an all-new venture.
Step 2. Assemble Your Back Office
Objective: Let pros handle the admin so you can focus on the rest.
Accounting, payroll, and benefits administration aren’t glamorous, but they’re important parts of maximizing limited resources and keeping staff motivated. Early on, many startups tap one of the founders to keep the books using software like QuickBooks. That’s fine when you have fewer than a dozen employees, but as you grow, a part-time bookkeeper or administrative assistant can help. Call in professionals for the heavy lifting, in the form of outsourced payroll and benefits administration services. Staffing is the opposite: In a small company, each personality impacts the team, so avoid using outside recruiters and headhunters.
Parts list: Who’s Who in administrative outsourcing
Paycycle automates payroll processing and tax reporting. Best for smaller companies.
Paycheck works with small to midsize firms to manage payroll and tax compliance.
Ceridian provides services ranging from payroll to benefits administration.
Trinet provides health-plan and benefits services to larger firms. May be too expensive for early-stage companies.
Step 3. Launch Your Beta Test
Objective: Solicit the comments you need to perfect the product.
Beta testing used to be a drawn-out ordeal, but for software, Web services, and online media companies, “agile development” has redefined the rules by emphasizing the release of fully functional products, asking end users for input, and addressing suggestions quickly to iron out bugs or add features. The lessons of agile development apply to other kinds of startups as well. Physical objects are obviously harder to alter, but the important thing is to solicit large amounts of user feedback (often by e-mail), respond to each comment, and incorporate changes quickly. Keep in mind that the factors that distinguish a successful product from a dud aren’t always obvious. Guidance comes from highly granular research that measures the effectiveness of individual attributes and features.
Words of wisdom:
“Test everything with real people–it’s unbelievable how helpful this is. Go find civilians, real people who use [products like yours] because they have to and not because they love to. Find them in Starbucks or at the library or in a college computer lab. Give them $20 for 20 minutes, and you’ll be paid back a hundred times over.” — “Entrepreneurial proverb” from MARC HEDLUND, entrepreneur-in-residence at O’Reilly Media. (For more of Hedlund’s proverbs, visit radar.oreilly.com/archives/2006/03/entrepreneurial_proverbs.html.)
Step 4. Revisit the Business Plan
Objective: Translate all that you’ve learned into a more realistic blueprint.
The product your company was created to sell may not be the thing you later unveil in the marketplace. “You’re going to change your business three times by the time you’re ready to launch,” says angel investor Jeff Clavier. “Get used to it.” You may be focused on the wrong market, or even the wrong product. Listen carefully, keep an open mind, and revise your projections and analysis accordingly. The assumption these days is that software and Web companies should break even after $20 million in investment; a hardware or consumer product company should do so with $30 million.
Case study: Flickr’s New Image
Ludicorp, the original parent company of online photo site Flickr, began as a startup developing a massively multiplayer game called the Game Neverending. As part of the initial software development, the company developed a tool that allowed people to share photos and chat about them. As more and more of the internal team and their friends began to use the tool, it became clear that providing technology to share photos in a unique way was the real opportunity–a shift that led to the creation of the Flickr website and an all-new business model. The Game Neverending was never launched, but Flickr was acquired by Yahoo in 2005 for an estimated $30 million.
What a VC wants to see in you: How to woo those fussy venture capitalists.
Most venture capitalists will tell you that they invest in people, not business plans. They like experienced entrepreneurs they’ve worked with before. With luck, you’ve got one of those people on your team, preferably as CEO. But if you’re not a veteran and can’t find one, don’t fret. A common misstep is to pitch the wrong partner at a VC firm–that will get your business plan nixed immediately. Find the partner whose expertise aligns with your business and send that person your well-honed executive summary. (Save the full-blown plan for later.) If you get a meeting, highlight your experience and what differentiates your startup from others, but keep your ego in check. In such a close-knit business relationship, VCs much prefer to work with people they get along with easily.
In an early-stage round, VCs will want 40 percent of the company in return for their investment. VC term sheets are notoriously demanding, but the place where entrepreneurs can suffer most is in the liquidation preferences. In essence, liquidation preferences determine how money gets divvied up if your company is sold. Your VCs are entitled to protect their downside, of course, but not to the exclusion of common stockholders–management and employees–who also want their equity to be worth something. Proceed with caution.
Phase Four Launch the Product
$$$ Required: $1M to $3M
The testing is done, the product has been refined, and it’s almost ready for release. Now you need to find paying customers, which means it’s time to reassess your staffing needs. A rule of thumb is that a company should have about 20 employees at the time of launch, with roughly 60 percent of its headcount devoted to product development and engineering and the rest focusing on management, sales, and marketing. Ideally, this is just the first of many launches to come. Try to nurture the momentum your team will need to think beyond the excitement of the initial release.
Tools you’ll need:
In-house networking: Make it your own. You’ll need networked storage, commodity servers, and a place to put it all.
E-mail/collaboration software: Zimbra is more affordable than Microsoft Exchange.
A PBX phone system: Asterisk PBX is a free telephone exchange that can be installed on any cheap server.
Business process software: NetSuite and Salesforce.com offer monthly subscriptions for customer-relationship management tools.
Step 1. Build a New Board of Directors
Objective: Expand your network and create the perfect brain trust.
You have new investors, a broader network of contacts, and a slew of enthusiastic backers. Put the best of them together to create a formal board of directors. Your board will likely include at least one representative from your funders. Angel investors may not demand a seat on the board, but most VCs insist on it. The rest of your board should consist of people who understand your business, have practical operating experience, and can leverage their relationships to open doors with potential customers. Cultivate a range of expertise on your board, spanning finance, technology, marketing, management, and merchandising. The excitement of being involved in a red-hot startup is usually the main incentive for prospective board members. Equity is secondary, but here’s a general guideline: Board members should receive the same equity package as your director-level employees.
Words of wisdom:
“The people on my board are people I would love to hire but could never afford. They sit on our board because they’re excited about our company and want to have a real impact.” — BRAD OBERWAGER, CEO and founder of startup juice and produce company Sundia, who just landed outgoing Sunkist CEO Jeff Gargiulo to serve on the board of his year-old company
Step 2. Develop the Sales and Marketing Plan
Objective: Establish a team to implement a targeted strategy.
As you get ready to come to market, your staffing priorities will shift from the technical team that built the product to the marketing and sales team that will sell it. Your VP for sales and marketing should need only one or two salespeople to start pounding on customers’ doors. It’s great if they can close a few early deals, but the initial emphasis should be to assess how potential customers respond to your sales pitch. Once they find the pitch that works, institutionalize it throughout your company. Marketing efforts should have a specific goal that supports your company’s strategic objectives. Make sure all your sales and marketing initiatives are precisely targeted to achieve them.
Case study: Focus! Focus! Focus!
When Krugle launched at the Demo conference in February, it became one of the great successes of the semiannual startup dog-and-pony show–not so much for what happened at the show, but for what happened afterward. Krugle is a search company that helps programmers find open-source software code. Most startups at Demo don’t have a marketing strategy for the event, beyond just showing up. But the Krugle team had specific goals: Position itself as the most formidable player in the market, attract beta testers, and secure additional investment. With its VCs in tow, Krugle came to the show, trumpeted $1.2 million in funding, and wowed everyone with its polished demo. The result? The company signed up more than 35,000 beta testers, landed another $5 million in funding, and is now recognized as the market leader.
Step 3. Open an Office
Objective: Bring everyone under one roof as cheaply as possible.
Although seasoned entrepreneurs recommend toiling in your proverbial garage as long as possible, there comes a time when working remotely begins to take a toll on productivity–typically when your company has more than 10 full-time employees. In theory, opening an office should be cause for celebration: It’s an opportunity to hang your shingle over an actual front door. In practice, it’s perilous: Many young companies go belly-up after locking themselves into expensive real estate deals.
Treat your first office as a temporary expedient. Figure out the minimum total square footage you need today, and how much you might need in the next 12 months. (Assume 80 to 100 square feet of floor space per worker.) Executive suites aren’t prestigious, but the leases are flexible, and most come with high-speed Internet connections, phone systems, printers, and copiers. (Searchofficespace.com is a good one-stop resource.) Another option is to share space with another startup or sublease space from a more well-established company–moves that can reduce leasing costs by as much as 50 percent.
Things to avoid:
The Four Deadly Sins of Office Real Estate
1. Overpayment. Rent should be no more than 4 to 6 percent of total operating costs.
2. Overimprovement. Resist the temptation to renovate an existing space or splurge on furniture and fixtures.
3. Overcommitment. Assume that your first office is temporary. Try to avoid signing a lease for longer than 12 months.
4. Overoptimism. Plan conservatively. Short-term overcrowding is less troublesome than paying for unused space.
Step 4. Hit the Market
Objective: Stop fiddling and start selling!
There are two ways to bring a new product into the world. With the quiet approach, a price tag is attached and beta customers transition into paying customers. That’s great if you have a clear notion of who your customers are and your sales team has a comprehensive list of them. More likely, however, you need to attract a little attention. Industry trade shows are a common way to introduce yourself, but the best reason to launch at a show has nothing to do with making a grand entrance: It’s the hard deadline a trade show creates. A public launch imposes a drop-dead completion timeline for everything your team is working on, and that counteracts the impulse to keep tinkering. Set specific but realistic publicity goals: a short list of journalists to reach, the number of blog mentions you want, a target for website hits and registrations. Treat early customers like VIPs. (Each early adopter is typically in a position to shape the buying behavior of 10 prospective customers.) Then pause for a moment to appreciate all that you’ve accomplished. It’s probably too soon to know what happens next, but you’ve successfully reached the end of the beginning. Good luck!
Tip: Building Buzz on the Cheap
No money for an elaborate marketing campaign? Here are three relatively inexpensive ways to jump-start sales.
Give it away. If you’re selling a physical product or fee-based service, compile a list of the people you’d most like to have as customers. Then give them the product for free. That’s how Brondell built buzz for the launch of its Japanese-style electronic toilet seats. Everyone on a marketing agency’s list of “the 100 most influential people in Silicon Valley” received one of Brondell’s seats for free, and the product is now sold in Home Depot and Bed Bath & Beyond.
Think like a blog. Weblogs are the obvious guerrilla route to publicity, but don’t treat them like other media outlets. Online, it’s essential to hone your message to an easy-to-digest length and keep it consistent. For example, Krugle’s “Find code. Find answers.” Says marketing consultant Don Thorson, “Three words is ideal, seven is OK. If it’s 15, you’re screwed.”
Create a clever gimmick. A simple stunt can generate a major splash if it’s surprising, focused, and well targeted. In the early days, Salesforce.com employees “picketed” competitors at industry events, marching and carrying signs emblazoned with the hosted application provider’s battle cry: “No more software.”
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Deffann posted (in Russian) about GotTheFacts.Org, the web-site that contains “truth” about the standards (also called as “de-facto standards” or “industry standards”) created by large corporations (aiming mainly Microsoft) and how they keep changing these standards over the years (MS Word example was provided).
You can read this article in English from linux-newbie.dotsrc.org.
And also iowa.gotthefacts.org contains scanned copies of internal email exchanges between Bill Gates and Microsoft employees and media updates about the court cases against Microsoft.
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Представьте. Рабочий стол, доступный вам из любого места в мире через интернет. Все ваши документы под надёжной защитой, но при этом всегда с вами. Ваши приложения всегда работают и обновляются сами собой.
Любой компьютер можно превратить в рабочее место. В ваше личное рабочее место.
Imagine. Your work desk, accessible from all over the world by internet. All your documents/files are under secure protection, yet they are always accessible. Your applications are working and being upgraded as well.
Any computer becoming your work desktop. Your private desktop.
———
That’s what advertised in above web-site. If you are keen about it, just subscribe with your email address for release updates.
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Another interesting business idea applied as the web service; TasteBook, a new Web site that allows people to search the Web for recipes and print out hardcover cookbooks. Users can use TasteBook’s iTunes-like interface to pick recipes and create a customized book, like the one shown here. Each book will have user-selected cover art and title. Recipes will be separated by 10 tabs–for breads, appetizers, desserts, etc. Eventually, TasteBooks will be even more customizable, according to co-founder Kamran Mohsenin, but for now each book will have the same chapters.
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Credits; Tastebook.com, News.com
Beware of the new Skype Defender malware that imitates Skype (provides similar looking login screen) and asks to enter login id and password. It comes with exe file named “65404-SkypeDefenderSetup.exe“. When executed it confirms the installation and displays similar to Skype login screen and asks to login to apply new plugins. Once it receives them, it will give error message and sends your sensitive information over to remote site. Upgrade your antivirus or remove this exe file from your PC if you see it.
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security.ngoinabox.org provided list of free security tools that could be used for NGOs or anyone who is looking for free protection. It is a bit an old list, though some of them should have upgraded versions. Check it out if interested!
Fyodor, maybe you could review and comment about them? and any tools you could recommend under similar cathegories?
PASSWORD TOOLS
Password Safe
program stores your passwords in a secure database. It is a small and easy-to-use program, which you could also run entirely from a floppy disk. The database is locked with a master password, called ’safe combination’. All your other passwords are accessible only by entering the master password correctly. Your passwords are stored in different categories to help you retrieve them when necessary.
Keepass
program stores your passwords in a highly encrypted database. This database consists of only one file and can therefore be transferred from one computer to another easily. This database is locked with a master password or a key-disk. If you use a master password, you only have to remember one password or passphrase (which should be strong then!) at a time. If you lose this master password, all your other passwords in the database are lost too. The database is encrypted on the basis of mathematics, and there isn’t any backdoor or a key which can open all databases. There is no way of recovering your passwords.
DATA STORAGE, BACKUP AND DESTRUCTION TOOLS
Eraser
it is used to permanently delete (wipe) sensitive data from your computer. Files and folders can be selected for wiping. This can be done on demand or scheduled to run at certain times. Note that your computer must be switched on at a specified time, otherwise the wipe will not happen. Eraser can also be used to create a ‘nuke boot disk’. This can be used in emergencies when you want to delete everything from your hard drive quickly.
BCWipe
used to delete sensitive data from your computer. There are two categories of files that can be deleted using BCWipe. The first are user selected files and folders. The second type is information, voluntarily stored on your computer whilst you are browsing the Internet. This includes temporary Internet files, cookies and others (explained in the manual). Finally, it is possible to clear the free space left on your computer of the remnants of files that have been deleted.
Handy Recovery
an easy-to-use data recovery software designed to restore files that have been deleted from computers and floppy drives. The program can recover files damaged by virus attacks, power failures and software faults or files from deleted and formatted partitions. It can also recover files moved and emptied from the Recycle Bin.
Freebyte Backup
Freebyte Backup is a free backup program for Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP. It allows one to easily copy (and filter) a large number of files and directories from various sources into one backup directory. It is possible to backup all files found in the specified set of folders, or to have only certain file types copied. Easily fitting on a floppy disk, this program is portable and allows you to perform timely efficient backups wherever you go!
Zip Genius 6
a backup tool that allows you to both compress (zip) and decompress (unzip) your archive. By compressing the data, you are reducing its physical size on your computer (could be useful for those with little free space). It can also encrypt the archive for safe storage on your computer or removable media. It is a handy and free replacement for the more common WinZip program. There is also a useful function allowing you to email the archive directly from the program.
- ENCRYPTION TOOLS
The GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG)
enables people to securely exchange messages and to secure files with both privacy and strong authentication. GnuPG is a free software replacement for the PGP suite of cryptographic software. The basic GPG program has a command line interface, but there are various front-ends that provide it with a graphical user interface; we are including the GPGshell interfave on this disk (see below). Also GnuPG has been integrated into various email clients also with Thunderbird with the Enigmail plug-in (see the internet and communications tools section).
GPGshell
is a graphic interface that allows you to use the cryptographic software GnuPG in a easy and user friendly way. Its goal is encrypting/decrypting files and/or email messages, but also signing them ( or verify their sign ).
4Hit Mail Privacy Lite
provides a quick and easy way of protecting your communications by hiding your text into an image. It combines hiding with a strong encryption method. Use any image on your PC – from a pleasant landscape to your latest birthday photo. HIT Mail supports a wide variety of image formats.
INTERNET & COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS
Mozilla Firefox
Excels in preventing pop-ups and offers advanced level of browser security. Also comes with a useful anonymous proxy plug-in.
Free plug-ins add extra security and privacy features to the default (standard) version of Mozilla.
Thunderbird
next generation e-mail client. Thunderbird makes emailing safer, faster, and easier than ever before with the help of the industry’s best implementations of features such as intelligent spam filters, a built-in spell checker, extension support, automatic encryption and much more.
Enigmail – Adds encryption support to Thunderbird using the OpenGPG framework. Allows for key creation, manipulation and encrypted email support (encryption and decryption). The set of accompanying screenshots shows how to install, create a key and use it to send and decrypt email. Version: 0.92 (2005.4.16); Installation: [Screenshots]; Note: You have to install OpenGPG first see ‘Miscellaneous tools’ chapter
Portable Thunderbird
is a fully functional package of Thunderbird optimised for use on a USB key drive. It has some specially selected optimisations to make it perform faster and extend the life of your USB key as well as a specialized launcher that will allow most of your favourite extensions to work as you switch computers. It will also work from a CDRW drive (in packet mode), ZIP drives, external hard drives, some MP3 players, flash RAM cards and more.
Hushmail
is a Web-based e-mail service (meaning you can access it from your Internet web browser) that lets you send and receive email with good security. Hushmail messages, and their attachments are encrypted using Open PGP standard algorithms. These offer users heightened levels of security. Messages are encrypted before leaving the sender’s computer and remain encrypted until after they arrive to the recipient’s machine, where the contents are automatically decrypted. Encrypting a message is as simple as clicking a mouse. Note: 1) You must access your free Hushmail account at least once every three weeks or it will be deleted. Alternatively, you can purchase an account and be free from some account limitations. 2) Hushmail’s security works if communicating with other Hushmail users. If you use it to send messages to, say, a Hotmail account, the overall security is nullified. 3) To operate on your computer, Hushmail requires that you use Internet Explorer version 5 (and above) or Mozilla Firefox, and the Java program must also be installed.
RiseUp
A secure and light weight webmail interface from the activists at RiseUp.net Registration on the website is free, but you need to be either invited by already existing RiseUp users or write to them requesting an account. Can also be set up to run in a mail client like Thunderbird.
Gaim
a multi-protocol instant-messaging (IM) client. One of its biggest advantages is that you can use it with most other instant-messaging service networks available on the Internet today (like AIM, ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo!, IRC, Jabber, Gadu-Gadu, and Zephyr). Gaim users can log in to multiple accounts on multiple messaging networks simultaneously. There is a plug-in available (see below) that allows you to encrypt your chats for increased security of your Internet communications. Whilst most other instant messaging services bring some Adware and spyware when installed, Gaim is reputably free of these annoyances.
Plug-ins;
TOR
When you use Tor, instead of taking a direct route from your computer to a server, your request on the Tor network will take a random pathway through several routing proxies that will randomise your tracks so that no observer at any single point can tell where your requests are coming from or going to. Tor can be used as a gateway to the Internet, or hidden services can be accessed inside the Tor network. Like the Freenet and GNUnet networks, Tor can be used to circumvent content filters, censorship laws, and other restrictions on communication. Unlike Freenet, which is a distributed, encrypted, data store, Tor aims to simply create a framework for anonymous communication. When using TOR, your Internet connections mayt be slower, however they will still work.
To make the Tor program function, you must also install a program called Privoxy. Together they can help to anonymise your Internet activity. They also help you access websites that could be otherwise blocked in your country. They need only to be set up once and will run in the background without any further intervention.
Torpark is a project that attempts to intergrate the Tor client and the Firefox browser into an easy one-file install, that can be run from a USB memory stick. Plug it into any Internet terminal whether at home, school, or in a public Internet cafe. Launch the program by clicking on Torpark.exe and it will open a built-in copy of the Firfox browser and build a Tor circuit connection that will allow you to browse the Internet bypassing website censorship. Very handy for anonymous browsing without having to install the whole Tor client. Please note that the source code of Torpark is closed and therefore its overall security cannot be independently verified. The project is not developed or supported by the Tor team.
FIREWALLS TOOLS
Zone Alarm
easy-to-use firewall blocks hackers and other unknown threats. Stealth mode automatically makes your PC invisible to anyone on the Internet.
VIRUS, ADWARE AND SPYWARE CLEANER TOOLS
AntiVir
a free antivirus program for Windows computers. It has a resident component that monitors file movements for signs of viruses. It also allows you to scan your computer and repair files that have been infected. The program comes with a facility to automatically check the AntiVir website for updates to the virus definitions and download them. Updates are free. Includes a check for malicious dialler software (when downloaded, they dial high-cost international numbers at your expense).
Avast4
another popular free anti-virus program. New version of avast! antivirus kernel features outstanding detection abilities, together with high performance. You can expect 100% detection of In-the-Wild viruses (the ones what are really spreading amongst people) and very good detection of Trojan horses, all that with only a minimum number of false alarms.
Avast (stand alone)
A stand-alone version of the Avast virus and word cleaner. You do not need to install it, as it runs directly from the executable file. Small enough to fit on a floppy. However, it does not update itself, so you need to find the latest version on the website.
SpyBot
SpyBot’s Search & Destroy can detect and remove spyware of different kinds from your computer. Spyware is a relatively new kind of threat that common anti-virus applications do not yet cover. If you see new toolbars in your Internet Explorer that you didn’t intentionally install, if your browser crashes, or if you browser’s start page has changed without your knowledge, you most probably have spyware.
ADDITIONAL TOOLS
DBAN – Darik’s Boot and Nuke (“DBAN”) is a self-contained boot floppy that securely wipes the hard disks of most computers. DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction.
Recover My Files – Recover deleted files from hard drives, floppy disks, digital cameras, USB drives, ZIP disks, compact Flash cards, smart media and Sony memory sticks. Recover Office, RAR, Hotmail, Yahoo mail, text e-mail and other file types. The program retrieves items emptied from the Recycle Bin, items contained on formatted hard drives, and items lost due to a system crash or virus. It will even recover temporary files for documents that were never saved.
IsoBuster – is able to rescue lost files from CD or DVD, save important documents and backup your system. It includes support for Direct CD compressed files and blanked DVD+RW media in 41 languages.
CCleaner – deletes unused and temporary files from your system, including Internet Explorer cache, History, Cookies, Index.dat, Recycle Bin, Temporary files, Log files and many more. Those deleted files still need to be wiped-out (see Eraser above).
Registry First Aid – cleans the Windows registry to speed up your computer and stop program crashes. Software un-installations sometimes leave behind nagging file references in the Windows registry, pointing to files that no longer exist. With time, you can end up with hundreds of these files that may slow down your computer and cause software to lock up. This program eliminates the above. It scans the registry for orphan files and folder references, finds these files or folders on your drives and corrects your registry entries to match the located files or folders. If your registry has links to files for deleted applications, Registry First Aid will find these invalid entries and remove them from your registry.
Abakt Backup – a versatile, easy-to-use backup-tool for Windows. Files and directories are selected using a combination of advanced filters. Uses wildcards, sets and other advanced masks to select files to backup, besides creating a standard ZIP archive. You can call other compression tools (like 7-Zip) to create backups. Also, it is possible to simply copy, move or delete the selected files.
DeepBurner – DeepBurner is an CD and DVD burning package. It supports a wide range of internal and external (USB 2.0 and FireWire) CD and DVD writers. Burn any data, copy any disc, make backups, create photo CD albums, make ISO CDs and Video DVDs.
TrueCrypt – is a software system for establishing and maintaining an on-the-fly-encrypted volume (data storage device). On-the-fly encryption means that data are automatically encrypted or decrypted right before they are loaded or saved, without any user intervention. No data stored on an encrypted volume can be read without using the correct password or encryption key. Until decrypted, a TrueCrypt volume appears to be nothing more than a series of random numbers. Entire file system is encrypted (i.e., file names, folder names, contents of every file, and free space). TrueCrypt never writes decrypted data to any storage device.
Steganography – enables you to use digital data-hiding techniques (steganography) to hide and encrypt files within other files (carriers) such as picture or sound files. This allows you to encrypt sensitive information, while hiding it in a file that will not look suspicious, so nobody even knows that there is any encrypted information. Features strong 256-Bit encryption algorithms, advanced compression, the ability to create password yourself. Those files, containing hidden files, are fully functional and are identical to the original files. This software is a free 15-day trial version with the option of registration.
Putty / WinSCP – PuTTY is an SSH, Telnet, rlogin, and raw TCP client. It was originally available only for Windows, but is now also available on various Unix platforms (as well as several other platforms as unofficial ports). Provides secure connections to remote systems. It integrates with WinSCP and then you are able to do all basic operations with files, such as copying and moving (to and from a remote computer). It also allows you to rename files and folders, create new folders, change properties of files and folders and create symbolic links and shortcuts.
Virtual Network Computing (VNC) is a desktop protocol to remotely control another computer. It transmits the keyboard presses and mouse clicks from one computer to another relaying the screen updates back in the other direction, over a network. VNC is platform-independent: a VNC viewer on any operating system can connect to a VNC server on any other operating system. There are clients and servers for almost all operating systems and for Java. Multiple clients may connect to a VNC server at the same time. Popular uses of the technology include remote technical support, and accessing files on your work computer from your home computer. It is recommended that you use VNC over a secure tunnel (i.e. SSH) to ensure the data are not intercepted easily.
VNC Clients – The VNCs client included on this CD are specific for the Win32 platform.
Smart FTP – This program allows you to connect to FTP servers to update/download files. For example, it can be used to update html files on a webserver. This has proxy support as well as SSL functionality allowing for encrypted file transfers.
——-
They provided some links to related resources here.
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From recently on YouTube Online Berkeley Uiniversity courses – http://www.youtube.com/ucberkeley.
I am wondering if one day CBTs (computer-based trainings), expectedly to be more effective and interactive in near future, replace the classical courseroom lessons with teachers/instructors. Isn’t it the typical cycle, anyway? Computers replacing humans on repetitive daily tasks. It has been already widely applied on simple introductory courses in many universities anyway for a long time (just thinking back we took such courses in 1999).
Also, providing video tutorials rather than text tutorials are getting popular as well. Though online degree programs should really improve a lot in terms of interactivity, flexibility, content richness in order to replace classical approach. Just simple slides with audio commentary and some video illustrations and some FAQ sections will not solve it. Video records of the classroom courses is one approach, with teleconferencing/interactive chat integrated into it. Such attendance from your computer gives you immediate access to other resources like Google (and think about that Google is digitizing all the books from the libraries of the biggest universities!), and VoIP and messaging applications are getting more and more advanced to provide flowless communication. And what a relief it would give to all those people who wants to study in good (foreign) universities but have difficulty in finding resources, scholarships, time for university degrees!
Anyway, this was just some messy thoughts about online education.
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Front-end web developers, the “artists” formerly known as web designers are the bunch of people in the company that make sure that the data coming from the backend gets displayed on the browser. They also make sure it looks as closely as possible as the design, that , CED came up with, and that the user can navigate through it, accessing the data.
They don’t need to know about complex OO programming, tricky database structures or how a path is done in Illustrator. They get data from the backend people and an example how the result looks like from CED. All they need to do is to hack some HTML or XSLT together and link the different documents. Piece of cake.
Web developers don’t have it as easy as it sounds though. True enough, markup languages are easy to learn and scripting languages are not much harder, but there is an aspect of uncertainty, that has to be taken into consideration, when judging their skills.
As a web developer you work in an uncertain environment. What looks good and works on your computer can be a popup hell and dire to look at on the machine next to you or on the machine of a customer. The first is not much of a problem, just ask your colleague to upgrade his browser, the second, however, is a problem.
As a web developer, your work can be wrecked by users and customers in many ways:
They can
and if the site does not work with that, they’ll blame you for it.
In other words, you never know what is going to be the mean of display at the other end.
What to do about that? Don’t fret, there are standards that the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) defined a long time ago. Just follow these standards and you are safe.
The only problem is that the browser industry keeps telling their products follow these standards, but, in reality, they don’t.
So by doing the right thing, you do the wrong thing. By following the standards, you make sure that your site will perform fine in future browsers and display units. On nowadays and yesterdays browsers though, there might be loads of issues.
What you do need to do is to make sure your site is following the standards and still looks OK on older browsers. This is the perfect option. Another would be to define a certain browser and platform environment. This is possible when we are talking about Intranets and B2B sites, but B2C means you are in trouble.
You are really in trouble, when the design you got was done by a designer who is not firm in web design. The web is a media, not a sheet of paper. Designs that look really nice on paper (and impress customers) might not work on the web. Same as screen layouts do not work on television or game consoles.
Users are able to resize the text part of your page, or, in newer browsers even add own rules of display onto your site (through own stylesheets). This means that every layout, that relies on fixed font-sizes, and text, that can only use up a certain area, is doomed to fail.
You can go the other extreme and keep everything flexible, which may result in really ugly texts, with lines too long to be readable. This is a minor issue though, as, when the user has a problem with that, he can simply resize his browser window.
In any case a good web developer needs to know a lot about the media he works in.
He needs to know
These are the most obvious bits. Another obstacle a web developer has to tackle all the time is the media and software market hype.
At every computer fair and in magazines software companies advertise products, that help you do a web site in 20 minutes without knowing anything about code. For good measure you can also add all the multimedia you want and connect it to the database, you don’t know anything about either.
When looking at these ads one starts to wonder why people care about hacking in their HTML. Front-end development is considered a task that can be fulfilled by any application or even the export filter of a graphics development program.
True, these applications do put out HTML and Javascript. True, the results look good. Wrong, they can replace a web developer. They can replace a “web designer”, someone who hand-codes “HTML designs”. When talking about HTML designs, I mean web sites without any other purpose but being eye candy. Standalone, plain HTML documents, a few links, some rollovers, but no back end connections or interactvity. Sites that are nothing but an ad can be safely done with them. As soon as you need the site to fulfil a specific task, be really optimised and fit the other components in your development framework, these WYSIWYG editors (like Dreamweaver, Frontpage, Adobe Pagemill and so forth) stop being that handy.
The worst nightmare for a front-end developer is to be confronted with markup code generated by these programs. A script or application can never optimise like a human being can, the code is bloated, unreadable and not logically structured in most of the cases. Keeping in mind that the outcome was meant to look great for 20 minutes work, why would it? The user never sees the source code. The developer does, and it’s his job to keep it as small, fast and readable as possible. Especially when you remember, that he might have to hand it over to another developer for changes.
The availability of web content is amazing and great, but also has a downside to it. Content and code can be published immediately and is available to everybody. This is very nice and actually one of the main reasons to make people start web developing. After all it’s easier to create your first web site than to try and get some time on TV or radio. The downside of it is that content gets published without any quality testing. Any enthusiastic developer, with more drive than skill. creates some new, cool design or effect, and publishes it on his web site. As it is cool and new, other developers see it, and implement it as well, to stand out from the crowd. Looking at this effect closely makes it obvious that it only makes sense in a very restricted browser environment and only for some content. Sometimes it might not even make sense at all. Nevertheless it becomes more and more spread and used, and sooner or later customers will see it and want it as well. Or colleagues see it, don’t realise the flaws it might have (as it works on their browser) and offer it to the customer.
Then the web developer gets asked to implement it, and gets blamed when it does fail in the quality test.
There is no such thing as free lunch. Also there is no such thing as a perfect web site that you assemble from free content from the web without knowing what you do. Script libraries and personal developer sites advertise their content much like software companies. They claim their products have perfect output. Truth is, you can find anything on the web, and that is great, but make sure you test it thoroughly before you even think about using it in a product someone pays you for.
To conclude, the web developer is the developer on the project that has it all: A very unstable display environment, a skill set that needs to range from code to design and usability, and the blame when the end product does not look the way it should.
It’s a hybrid position, you are someone that paints with code. Programmers don’t accept your work as real code, and designers don’t consider it design.
Now you might be at the point where you ask yourself: If that is such a horrid position in the development circle why bother taking it?
Well, the love for the media I suppose. The challenge to make things visible to users and not exclude a lot of them. The hybrid position in between programmers and designers and dealing with both. The satisfaction of seeing things you have done online and realising that people use it. The immediate satisfaction of hacking in some funny words with brackets around them and controlling the layout of a text by doing so.
It is a position that needs constant improvement, and interest in the media you work for. The days of front-end developers that attend a 2 day course and make a lot of money the week after are over. Now it is the job to clean up the mess those “web designers” left behind. To work with design and backend and project managers to make sure the customer gets something that is looking good and works fast and reliable.
So next time you think about smiling about those tag coders or HTML monkeys (I saw that as an official title in a work contract) you are welcome to try it yourself.
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Source; onlinetools.org
If you haven’t read it yet, then check for Thomas L. Friedman’s book “The World Is Flat”. Although it is more about the effects of globalization in today’s world and how the jobs are being shifted towards countries like India and China, it also mentions about IT outsourcing and companies like Infosys, etc. Definitely must read for any IT businessman/enterpreuner.
Here’s part of book description taken from Wikipedia;
“Friedman on a journey to Bangalore, India, realizes that globalization has changed core economic concepts. Due to this discovery, he suggests that the world is “flat” in the sense that the competitive playing fields between industrial and emerging market countries have been leveled. Friedman recounts many examples in which companies in India and China are becoming part of large global complex supply chains. These companies provide service representatives. He recalls seeing American companies such as Dell, AOL, and Microsoft using teleoperators who are paid very low wages.”
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