August 20th, 2009
Simple answer: No.
How would you like it if I strapped you to a chair and made you listen to the Teletubbies song on loop for over an hour?
If you find you can’t resist putting your favourite Vengaboys song on your website/blog at least have the courtesy to put a prominent stop button somewhere for those that might not share your taste…
#Tinkywinky, Dipsy, Laalaa, Po… Teletubbies Teletubbies, say…#
August 20th, 2009
I’m sure at one point or another you will have come across a website that seems to have it all, the glamour, the dazzle, the wild animation of a skeleton doing the Moonwalk. But just how appropriate is it for your website to have such novelties?
Most likely the website you are looking at will have been done using elements of Flash, requiring the user to have Flash player installed on their computers. Some sites even go as far as being completely built using Flash, which is not really recommended, reason being it’s not ideal for SEO. Effectively what you have is pretty much a one page website.
Then there’s the fact that large amounts of animation could overwhelm the use; how are they supposed to focus on the information on offer when the vertigo-inducing loop on show is too distracting? That said, using flash subtly in your xhtml website can work to your advantages, perhaps adding a bit of elegance.
So yes, use Flash if you’d like, just don’t overdo the “bling bling”.
August 19th, 2009
Spam is a problem anybody with an email address has come across and it can end up being the bain of our lives. Using a spam filter either on your web server or local computer can help cut down the amount of spam that arrives in your inbox, but can never totally get rid of the problem. Also if you are too aggressive with your spam filter scoring you can easily start getting legitimate emails blocked.
So how can spam be stopped in the first place? Well…it can’t, but there are things that can be done when setting up a new website with a new domain. One thing our clients always want is their email address on the site and the first thing we always tell them is what a bad idea it is. As soon as you put your email on yours or anybody else’s website it will get picked up by spam databases and then get hurled with emails about anything from Viagra to fake bank account information. So to help combat this problem, included with all of our sites and something that we highly recommend doing is using a contact form instead of displaying your email address. This gives you the opportunity to ask your potential customers some brief questions and then have them emailed directly to you without ever disclosing your email address.You can even have it mailed to multiple recipients. But best of all it should help cut down the amount of spam you receive in the future.
August 14th, 2009
If there is one thing I’ve learned since developing websites and applications, it’s the importance of validating user input. Don’t trust for one second what your user is sending you. Anytime a user is asked for input, whether it be their name, email address or an uploaded image, this must be filtered to:
Data must never be changed to accommodate mistakes, always tell the user if they have done something incorrectly. Make them play by your rules. Changing incorrect user data can create vulnerabilities.
Once data has be validated, it must be escaped before being inserted into a database. The safest way to make sure data is clean is to set-up a new array() and then put the data through htmlentities() and mysql_real_escape_string().
So never trust your users. Always treat data input as invalid until you can prove otherwise. It sounds harsh, but it’s the only safe way to protect you, your data and your customers.
August 11th, 2009
For some of you, this is very basic so please forgive!
However, if you do not use Google Shopping either as a seller or buyer…quite simply you should…or at least you should try it. I personally have saved hundreds of pounds in seconds using this service on a regular basis.
Google shopping has gradually become a significant service to the buyer now it’s seller base has grown. Its free and fast to use, and comes with a seller rating system..check it out here :http://www.google.co.uk/prdhp?hl=en&tab=wf.
Logically it has also become a must to the seller now it’s consumer base has grown. If you sell stuff, listing your products is free which makes this a no brainer. Find out how to list your products here: http://www.google.com/base/help/sellongoogle.html
August 11th, 2009
Possibly inspired by Bing (that’s the new name for MSN Search), Google is fighting back with some big ‘ol changes of it’s own.
This time, it’s a major change to the fundamental search technology and algorithms governing Google’s core product, it’s organic search engine.
Word on the screen is that there is a trend shift towards more real time results (considered the future of search thirst).
Other “forward steps” include faster result delivery and a more comprehensive database.
It’s worth having a play with the new system to see how your site is ranking for your favourite keyphrases.
Those wholesale seo changes you were going to make out of desperation may not seem so essential. Of course, those sat in their ivory ranking towers may see the ground approaching quickly.
Have a play around for yourself here: http://www2.sandbox.google.com/
August 6th, 2009
Sometimes, the problem with having a blog is that you HAVE to keep it up, even when you can’t think of anything exciting or particularly relevant to say.
You could get very British about it and post about the weather (which is rubbish, by the way), you could branch out from your usual topics and talk about yourself, you could even get philosophical and talk about life the universe and everything.
Of course, writers have the ultimate fallback option – the one all the greats use when they’ve run out of significant or interesting things to comment on.
We just write about writing.