Blog as a Web Site

For a while now I've been looking for a client who would benefit from using blogging software to build their site -- Molly Gordon of Shaboom Inc is just such a client.

What makes Molly, President of Shaboom Inc the perfect candidate are the following reasons (does this sound like you?):

1) Molly's an early adopter of technology (she's not afraid to try new things).

2) Her last site, which I designed about 5 years ago, had grown organically. Each page seemed to take on it's own look and feel with different colors, fonts and type specs.

3) Molly's sites are text rich and benefit from many text links that lead to other pages and ideas (just the way a blog does) however, new pages were rarely associated with the navigation menu system so traversing the site felt like going down a rabbit hole - hard to tell where you were or how to get out.

MovableType's blogging software allowed Molly to keep entering text as she had but now each article would be a post and as such automatically generate a text link in the right column. Plus, blogging software automatically maintains fonts, colors and the site's look & feel so Molly could keep adding pages without worrying about creating a whole new look.

What we did was alter a blog template, create a navigational system then remove some of the blog-specific functionality that wasn't necessary to the site. All of this is a lot easier to do in Blogger, but MovableType had the ability to automatically create right-hand headers that were selectable to place posts under, thereby creating a navigation system.

If you're considering designing or redesigning a site that's content heavy, blogging software might be the way to go. You'll need enough programming savvy to update HTML templates (or know someone who has). Once the content is in place it'll be easy for clients to update it.

City of Bainbridge Island and Scotsman Guide sites Launched

We recently launched two sites, one for the City of Bainbridge Island, the other for Scotsman Guide Publishing in Bothell, WA. And, in both instances the web sites are just the tip of the iceberg. Where we really accelerate is developing content management software that supports our client web sites, and I have to say, I enjoy designing software almost more than I do web sites.

Both sites were designed to accommodate many content editors while maintaining the approved design criteria. We do this by creating templates and limiting choice (sounds scary but makes adding content - text, images, links, pdfs, word docs etc. - easier).

Our Premium Content Management System (CMS) includes the ability to add, edit and delete all content on the website (text, images, links, pdfs, word docs etc.) as well as add, edit and delete pages from the navigation through a password protected browser based system. So, our clients have the ability to increase or decrease the size of their site as their organizations and companies change and grow. Features in addition to our premium CMS follow.

City of Bainbridge Island (COBI) site special features include:

• Interactive Calendar - visitors are able to click on any calendar icon date to see all of the meetings available for that day. Calendar searches can also be done by meeting type (council, planning etc.), date ranges, and keyword. Our Premium Content Management System allows COBI to add agendas and minutes quickly.
• Custom Left-hand Column - COBI can click checkboxes to select which of the following standard items show: calendar, quicklinks, weather icon, and news alert sign up box; and/or they can enter any content they like.
• Integrated ListServ - we built a slimed-down version of Constant Contact and integrated it with their content management system. Web visitors can sign up for interest categories by typing in their email address and clicking interest categories. COBI can manage their interest categories and email lists directly from the content management system we developed for them, as well as send news alerts to one or more interest category email lists.
• User Management System - the content management system is password protected and COBI can maintain a three-tier system of access assigning access to part or all of the content management system to their managers and editors. The system also includes update notification.
• Header/Footers - COBI has the ability to add new headers and footers to their site as they wish, plus they can make a series of headers/footers rotate for a particular section of the site or select just one header/footer to display at all times.

Scotsman Guide Publishing site special features include:

• Selectable Template Types - to help organize the long articles and archived issues, we created several templates. The article templates allow Scotsman to break long articles into 1-3 pages and automatically add links between the pages (next, previous, first, last). To associate a cover image with each issue there is an article archive template. And, finally, to accommodate their IT department's desire to add ASP searches to the site we developed a template that allows them to drop their code into the site.
• User Management System - the content management system is password protected and Scotsman can maintain a three-tier system of access assigning access to part or all of the content management system to their managers and editors. The system also includes update notification.
• Custom Right-hand Column - Scotsman can add 1-3 animated gif or flash ads to the right column and/or content for each page of their site.
• Flash Ads - SWG created three animated banner ads for Scotmans' site using their illustrations and colors.

For Scotsman Guide we combined two separate sites that were previously only joined via a splash page, plus all 2005 articles and future articles can be read online whereas before they were just pdf links. Now articles can be read online, printed or downloaded as pdfs. Also, complex lender search result matrixes can now be displayed online within the website itself.

Get the Inside Scoop on the Mideast

Fulbright scholar Josh Landis in Damascus runs a blog called SyriaComment.com - worth a look if you want the inside skinny.

Tired of Your Current Life? Have a Second Life...

Ok, so I never thought I'd be talking about a game; although with economic problems that would give Greenspan headaches, it doesn't feel like a game.

It all started when when I came across an article called How Much for a Jetpack? about Second Life as I was reading Newsweek on my flight back from North Carolina. I had to check it out for myself. It's sort of like Myst in that you're plunked on an unknown world you have to explore, but unlike Myst you have a body (avatar) that you can fly or walk around. Flying is definitely the way to go. What's weird is that you can see and talk to other players avatars. They walk or fly past your avatar (or bump into you, which you can report as an assault), and freakiest of all, they talk to you in realtime. Yikes.

So, there my avatar was looking at a chestboard and contemplating how to sit down when another avatar came up and asked how I liked Second Life (guess she could tell I was a newbie). Confusing, but intriguing.