While maybe not the most exciting part of any job, data backup is a vital aspect of many professions. Done right, backing up your data can be a painless and hands-off process that provides you with peace of mind. There are many options and services available, and the best method of backup varies based on the type and size of data you need to store.
Today I’ll talk a bit about time management, specifically The Pomodoro Technique. For those not familiar, this simple technique uses timed 25 minute intervals of work followed by rest periods to enhance productivity and prevent burnout. Named for a timer in the shape of a tomato (pomodoro, in Italian), this method was first introduced by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s (Wikipedia).
The newest face in the social networking arena has created quite a stir, but many are waiting it out to see how Google+ performs before joining this new community. Trepidation is a reasonable reaction to this new platform, as Google’s last two attempts at social media (Wave and Buzz) fell short of the mark by a long shot. The reception so far, though, seems overwhelmingly optimistic and users are promoting the new community with 85% positive feedback. What will make the biggest difference, I believe, is how well thought-out and ready for execution this new social network really is.
Whoops! I’ve been a little sidetracked working on some awesome new projects for clients (details about that one and more coming soon), and have neglected to follow up on the blog posts I promised you here. The wait is over, and today I’m going to share with you my favorite new CSS Photo Gallery. It is super simple, very lightweight (CSS + HTML only), easy to implement, and customizable, too. With credentials like that, how could it not be great? Read on for the source and some helpful tips and examples.
In the ongoing battle of the browsers, Internet Explorer, especially IE6, continues to be the thorn in the side of web designers everywhere. The web design industry is constantly evolving and changing for the better; HTML5 and CSS3 are both the newest (and most capable) versions of the web coding languages. Older browsers, and even some modern browsers, do not support these newer versions of code, which limits the abilities of web design. There are various hacks and solutions for this problem, one of which is CSS3 Pie.
Taking a sick day when you work from home or run your own business can be tricky. Unfortunately I speak from experience, as I spent last week battling a cold. Depending on the severity of your illness, there are various ways to successfully handle work while nursing yourself back to health. Read on for my own tried-and-true methods for coping with a cold.
While it may sound unnecessary, today I have for you a group of helpful tips and tricks for writing emails. Not just any emails, but professional emails that will get your voice heard and your ideas noticed, and maybe even an email in response. The fax machine and snail mail have gone the way of the dinosaurs when it comes to professional correspondence. The phone is still an invaluable and highly useful tool, but email is in many ways the ideal form of business communication. Read on for how-to email tips and why you should use them.
With Google Image Search at your fingertips, it can be easy to forget how and why to be responsible when using images from the web for your own purposes. As a blogger as well as a photographer, I understand both sides of this situation and the need for clarification. This post will outline some basic rules and regulations for using others’ images online, as well as some legal alternatives to paying for photos.
While it is always the goal that your viewers never get an error page from your website, it is best to be prepared. A 404 Error indicates that the file or page requested cannot be found. Unlike a server error, a 404 or Not Found error occurs when access to the site is granted, but the address called for is missing. This type of error can occur for a number of reasons; sometimes it is simply a matter of the viewer spelling your URL wrong, and other times it is due to either external or internal broken links. A broken link is usually the result of updating and/or moving pages and files around on your website. Read on for tips on creating and executing a unique and helpful 404 page.
I had a brief moment of dread earlier this week when I visited one of the sites I manage, only to find a disturbing “That page cannot be displayed” error page. Like I said, though, my fear was short lived thanks to today’s featured sites. These three websites reliably (as far as I can tell) test and report whether a web page is down universally or it is your own computer/system creating the error. Down for everyone or just me? is the most well-known of these resources, though they are all similar programs. CheckSite and Down.io also report the status of a web server to determine if a website error is affecting other viewers or only you.
