Blog

I was recently introduced to some free image editing tools that I thought would be useful/helpful to others, so I’d like to share this awesome resource. It’s called Aviary, and it’s a line of multiple web-based applications (no installation required) that seem awesome, and are now free to use! There are several tools, actually (not just image editing), including: Image Editor Color Editor Effects Editor Vector Editor Image Markup Screen Capture Audio Editor I’ve briefly played around with the Image Editor called Phoenix, and it seems pretty equivalent to Photoshop Ele ... [read more]...

I really disklike having any kind of Flash on websites and/or blogs that I own or design, and I know there are many designers and developers out there who agree with me. Using flash also makes SEO more challenging for websites and blogs, which is another reason to stay away from flash if you can. In addition to working by day as a Technical Trainer, working by night as a freelance web and blog designer, as well as dabbling in photography here and there on the side, I also compose my own music. I have a separate website for my music that is also (of course) WordPress-based, and I used to use an ... [read more]...

Yesterday I mentioned that the “MaxBlogPress Ninja Affiliate” plugin was going to have a discount soon, and I now have more details, so as promised, I’m passing this information on to you! It’s a $30 discount that brings the cost down from $97 to $67, and it’s only available for 3 days starting tomorrow! (From Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010, until Friday, February 5th, 2010.) Again, the features and possibilities definitely make this plugin worthwhile: You can create professional redirect links, without being technical and without hassle You can quickly and easily ... [read more]...

Have you ever been on someone’s site and noticed that a link was shorter and simpler than expected? Maybe an example will illustrate this better: http://www.sitename.com/xxxx Where “xxx” can be anything from twitter, facebook, maybe a product recommendation, etc. (so www.sitename.com/facebook, or www.sitename.com/twitter, or www.sitename.com/recommends/productx, etc.) I’ve had this question recently come up with a client, and I often wondered this myself until discovering just how other bloggers were achieving this. They use a plugin that basically redirects a custom, ... [read more]...

I haven’t written in my blog for a while because I’ve been busy working on clients’ sites and blogs. As I presently only do this as freelance work on the side (ie. in addition to my full-time job as a Technical Trainer), something always falls through the cracks, and this time it was the blog, unfortunately. There are only so many hours in a day to work with! I wish we didn’t need sleep – there’s another time drainer, but alas, I am only one person, and can only manage to do so much with my waking hours! The holidays were also busy, but today I’m tryi ... [read more]...

Google has always provided some awesome FREE tools to make people’s lives easier, but many of their tools come in handy when it comes to managing your blog or website (some more than others). Below is a list of some of these tools, most of which I use myself. If you’re a business on a budget, or starting your own business and you’re on a very tight budget, or you just have a personal blog, or you just want to know a little more about some of Google’s available services, you definitely want to be sure to check these out as they can come in handy! Google has a lot more se ... [read more]...

Do you feel a lack motivation, or that you’re a failure? Even if you don’t feel like a failure, you need to stop and take a few minutes to watch this video – I guarantee it’ll make you appreciate your life a little more! I discovered Nick Vujicic last year, and whenever I start feeling anxious, depressed, overwhelmed, or anything along those lines, I think of Nick. He is an amazing man who has overcome more obstacles than most people face in their lifetimes! If you need a little encouragement, please watch this video – you won’t regret it! Nick is an inspira ... [read more]...