See the New Class Calendar with hosting and interface provided by http://www.calendars.net/
Anyone can add events to the calendar. It should help you guys find when there are office hours and coordinate schedules. It is located on the "Class Schedule" link from my (spinning head) home page.
http://www.zse4.com/beacon/calendar.asp
Note that I will be cancelling my Thursday lab hours for a few weeks while I do some mop up work in South Carolina. Any reasonable hour that is not taken on the calendar is also a time when I should be available for one-on-one help for you guys.
Tuesday, July 17, 2001
A new way to catch hackers. Interesting theory at least.
For those of you who missed it DEFCON was in Vegas last week, the largest hacker/security convention in the US.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/600060.asp?0dm=C14NT
For those of you who missed it DEFCON was in Vegas last week, the largest hacker/security convention in the US.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/600060.asp?0dm=C14NT
A fun site for those slow afternoons - Surfing The Apocalypse
Check their statistics of the number of clicks they've had on their banner ads.
http://www.surfingtheapocalypse.com/
Check their statistics of the number of clicks they've had on their banner ads.
http://www.surfingtheapocalypse.com/
One for the kids
Making Ice cream with items around the home.
http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/icecream.html
Making Ice cream with items around the home.
http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/icecream.html
Powers of 10
Similar to virtual skydive, but in an Java Applet that takes to from subatomic particle to a view of the milky way.
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10/index.html
Similar to virtual skydive, but in an Java Applet that takes to from subatomic particle to a view of the milky way.
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10/index.html
Favorite Moments from The Muppet Show
Requires QuickTime, but where else can you see Beaker and Animal singing Feelings.
http://www.henson.com/hmoment/hmoment_archives_body.html
Requires QuickTime, but where else can you see Beaker and Animal singing Feelings.
http://www.henson.com/hmoment/hmoment_archives_body.html
If you have read or heard about The Bible Code, here is the same rule applied to Moby Dick.
The following challenge was made by Michael Drosnin (author of The Bible Code): "When my critics find a message about the assassination of a prime minister encrypted in Moby Dick, I'll believe them."(Newsweek, Jun 9, 1997)
Note that English with the vowels included is far less flexible than Hebrew when it comes to making letters into words. Nevertheless, without further ado, we present our answer to Mr Drosnin's challenge.
http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/dilugim/moby.html
The following challenge was made by Michael Drosnin (author of The Bible Code): "When my critics find a message about the assassination of a prime minister encrypted in Moby Dick, I'll believe them."(Newsweek, Jun 9, 1997)
Note that English with the vowels included is far less flexible than Hebrew when it comes to making letters into words. Nevertheless, without further ado, we present our answer to Mr Drosnin's challenge.
http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/dilugim/moby.html
I Bet You Will
In case you've ever been curious about how much money it would take to get a person in Times Square to change into a thong on the street and allow someone to eat a piece of chocolate cake off their butt.... This is the site for you.
One of the first Internet game shows. They have signed a deal to make it into a TV show.
http://www.ibetyouwill.com/
In case you've ever been curious about how much money it would take to get a person in Times Square to change into a thong on the street and allow someone to eat a piece of chocolate cake off their butt.... This is the site for you.
One of the first Internet game shows. They have signed a deal to make it into a TV show.
http://www.ibetyouwill.com/
The Google Zeitgeist
A Google resource that tracks the popularity of search terms and other peculiarities of the search engine business.
http://www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html
A Google resource that tracks the popularity of search terms and other peculiarities of the search engine business.
http://www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html
Free search engine submitter and other Web tools
Also: a spelling check for web pages, a color picker and previewer, a bad link finder, check to see who links to you, and find your position in search engine results.
http://www.jimtools.com/
Also: a spelling check for web pages, a color picker and previewer, a bad link finder, check to see who links to you, and find your position in search engine results.
http://www.jimtools.com/
What happens when Web Companies Die?
An article about the 42,000 WebVan cup holders at PacBell Park in San Francisco.
From: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/07/11/MN159427.DTL
What to do with 42,000 cup holders labeled with a company that just went bust?
That's the question confounding the San Francisco Giants with the demise of Webvan, the online grocery company that had its trademark plastered on every seat cup holder at Pac Bell Park.
Does the team scrape the labels off right away? Can it go looking for another advertiser?
"Our lawyers are looking at it," said Giants executive vice president Larry Baer.
In fact, Baer said the team has been working on it ever since it first got wind that Webvan was headed for the dot-com dumper.
Webvan had a three-year, "low-seven-figure" contract with the Giants for stadium advertising, Baer said -- which included the cup holders, as well as a couple of ballpark billboards.
And there's still one year to go.
Still, the idea of having a loser's logo splashed all over the park is something the image-conscious Giants would like to see end ASAP.
As for Herculean job of stripping off all those 42,000 Webvan labels?
"If we put them on -- we can take them off," says Baer.
Who knows, maybe the fans will want to take them home as souvenirs.
An article about the 42,000 WebVan cup holders at PacBell Park in San Francisco.
From: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/07/11/MN159427.DTL
What to do with 42,000 cup holders labeled with a company that just went bust?
That's the question confounding the San Francisco Giants with the demise of Webvan, the online grocery company that had its trademark plastered on every seat cup holder at Pac Bell Park.
Does the team scrape the labels off right away? Can it go looking for another advertiser?
"Our lawyers are looking at it," said Giants executive vice president Larry Baer.
In fact, Baer said the team has been working on it ever since it first got wind that Webvan was headed for the dot-com dumper.
Webvan had a three-year, "low-seven-figure" contract with the Giants for stadium advertising, Baer said -- which included the cup holders, as well as a couple of ballpark billboards.
And there's still one year to go.
Still, the idea of having a loser's logo splashed all over the park is something the image-conscious Giants would like to see end ASAP.
As for Herculean job of stripping off all those 42,000 Webvan labels?
"If we put them on -- we can take them off," says Baer.
Who knows, maybe the fans will want to take them home as souvenirs.
Movie Clips from "The Tick" coming out this fall. A good excuse to waste some time.
http://www.spe.sony.com/tv/shows/tick/video.phtml
http://www.spe.sony.com/tv/shows/tick/video.phtml
CertMag's StudyGuide Spotlights CIW Certification; Supplement Helps Professionals Prepare for Internet Jobs
Tue Jul 17 13:31:47 2001 GMT
AUSTIN, Texas & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 2001--
MediaTec Publishing Inc., publisher of Certification Magazine, today mailed its August 2001 issue, featuring an edition of CertMag's StudyGuide that focuses on the popular ProsoftTraining.com (Nasdaq:POSO) CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) certification programs.
Articles and resources in the CIW StudyGuide are also available now for free on the CertMag.com Web site.
Issued quarterly and bound into Certification Magazine, CertMag's StudyGuides dissect particular certification programs, focusing on exam preparation. The CIW StudyGuide features an overview of the CIW tracks, a report on quick pathways to CIW certification and on available study materials, dissections of the Security Professional Series and CIW Foundations exams and a practice test to prepare you for the all-important Foundations Exam.
The August 2001 issue of Certification Magazine is also available at major bookstores, including Borders, Barnes & Noble, Tower Records, Virgin Megastores and Micro Centers. The next issue of CertMag's StudyGuides will focus on Novell's certification programs and will be delivered with the November 2001 Certification Magazine.
"CIW is certainly a hot story in the certification industry, growing by leaps and bounds in the past year," said John R. Taggart, executive vice president and group publisher of MediaTec Publishing, which publishes Certification Magazine and IT Contractor magazine. "We've focused our StudyGuides on the most in-demand certifications available, and we expect this issue will be of particular interest to IT professionals. The CIW programs cover large territories in Information Technology, so getting prepared for this program is a large step in the right career direction."
The CIW StudyGuide was prepared by Emmett Dulaney, a noted IT author and Certification Magazine's StudyGuide editor. Also adding perspectives to the StudyGuide are noted authors Robert Bogue, Malcolm Dean and Jeff Durham. In addition to resources in the printed supplement, the CIW StudyGuide features an additional Web-only article that gives even more information on the CIW programs. That article can be found with the rest of the CIW StudyGuide content online at www.certmag.com/issues/aug01/sg/.
"The Internet and the IT industries have experienced incredible growth and have had dramatic effects on communities and businesses around the world," said Julie Rowe, vice president of products and programs at ProsoftTraining.com (Nasdaq:POSO). "By educating the public on job-role certifications like CIW, Certification Magazine plays a key role in retooling today's work force for competency in industry standards, strong knowledge of best practices and familiarity with hardware and software from many vendors."
About MediaTec
MediaTec Publishing Inc., is the leading source of education, training and career information in the IT marketplace. MediaTec publishes Certification Magazine and the CertMag family of publications, including CertMag EXTRA and CertMag TRAINER electronic newsletters, the http://www.CertMag.com and http://www.ITcertinfo.com Web sites and a series of quarterly CertMag's StudyGuides. MediaTec also publishes IT Contractor, a bimonthly magazine offering its readers the latest news, information, advice and resources on the outsourced labor industry, the http://www.ITCmagazine.com Web site and the ITC News & Views electronic newsletter.
About ProsoftTraining.com
ProsoftTraining.com (Nasdaq:POSO) is a global supplier of IT educational materials and certifications designed to create a work force with marketable and portable IT job skills. Prosoft curriculum and certifications are distributed through one of the world's largest learning center channels, academic institutions, corporations and e-learning organizations. ProsoftTraining.com offers industry-leading ComputerPREP brand courseware and e-learning for use in classrooms, self-study and distance-learning environments. Prosoft owns two IT job-role certifications: CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) and CCNT (Certified in Convergent Network Technologies) and provides education programs that support the certifications. ProsoftTraining.com is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more information on Prosoft, visit the Web sites at http://www.ComputerPREP.com, http://www.CIWcertified.com and http://www.ProsoftTraining.com.
This press release contains forward-looking information relating to revenue, demand for and the success of our products. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results. Risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in these forward-looking statements include but are not limited to risks associated with business and economic conditions, a lack of growth in information technology training the continued demand for certification in general, and CIW in particular, the continued acceptance of CIW as a standard, the inability to increase market share, the Company's ability to attract and retain key management and other personnel, and the other risks and uncertainties outlined in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Company undertakes no obligation to update this forward-looking information.
Copyright © 2001 Business Wire. All rights reserved.
Tue Jul 17 13:31:47 2001 GMT
AUSTIN, Texas & CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 2001--
MediaTec Publishing Inc., publisher of Certification Magazine, today mailed its August 2001 issue, featuring an edition of CertMag's StudyGuide that focuses on the popular ProsoftTraining.com (Nasdaq:POSO) CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) certification programs.
Articles and resources in the CIW StudyGuide are also available now for free on the CertMag.com Web site.
Issued quarterly and bound into Certification Magazine, CertMag's StudyGuides dissect particular certification programs, focusing on exam preparation. The CIW StudyGuide features an overview of the CIW tracks, a report on quick pathways to CIW certification and on available study materials, dissections of the Security Professional Series and CIW Foundations exams and a practice test to prepare you for the all-important Foundations Exam.
The August 2001 issue of Certification Magazine is also available at major bookstores, including Borders, Barnes & Noble, Tower Records, Virgin Megastores and Micro Centers. The next issue of CertMag's StudyGuides will focus on Novell's certification programs and will be delivered with the November 2001 Certification Magazine.
"CIW is certainly a hot story in the certification industry, growing by leaps and bounds in the past year," said John R. Taggart, executive vice president and group publisher of MediaTec Publishing, which publishes Certification Magazine and IT Contractor magazine. "We've focused our StudyGuides on the most in-demand certifications available, and we expect this issue will be of particular interest to IT professionals. The CIW programs cover large territories in Information Technology, so getting prepared for this program is a large step in the right career direction."
The CIW StudyGuide was prepared by Emmett Dulaney, a noted IT author and Certification Magazine's StudyGuide editor. Also adding perspectives to the StudyGuide are noted authors Robert Bogue, Malcolm Dean and Jeff Durham. In addition to resources in the printed supplement, the CIW StudyGuide features an additional Web-only article that gives even more information on the CIW programs. That article can be found with the rest of the CIW StudyGuide content online at www.certmag.com/issues/aug01/sg/.
"The Internet and the IT industries have experienced incredible growth and have had dramatic effects on communities and businesses around the world," said Julie Rowe, vice president of products and programs at ProsoftTraining.com (Nasdaq:POSO). "By educating the public on job-role certifications like CIW, Certification Magazine plays a key role in retooling today's work force for competency in industry standards, strong knowledge of best practices and familiarity with hardware and software from many vendors."
About MediaTec
MediaTec Publishing Inc., is the leading source of education, training and career information in the IT marketplace. MediaTec publishes Certification Magazine and the CertMag family of publications, including CertMag EXTRA and CertMag TRAINER electronic newsletters, the http://www.CertMag.com and http://www.ITcertinfo.com Web sites and a series of quarterly CertMag's StudyGuides. MediaTec also publishes IT Contractor, a bimonthly magazine offering its readers the latest news, information, advice and resources on the outsourced labor industry, the http://www.ITCmagazine.com Web site and the ITC News & Views electronic newsletter.
About ProsoftTraining.com
ProsoftTraining.com (Nasdaq:POSO) is a global supplier of IT educational materials and certifications designed to create a work force with marketable and portable IT job skills. Prosoft curriculum and certifications are distributed through one of the world's largest learning center channels, academic institutions, corporations and e-learning organizations. ProsoftTraining.com offers industry-leading ComputerPREP brand courseware and e-learning for use in classrooms, self-study and distance-learning environments. Prosoft owns two IT job-role certifications: CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) and CCNT (Certified in Convergent Network Technologies) and provides education programs that support the certifications. ProsoftTraining.com is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more information on Prosoft, visit the Web sites at http://www.ComputerPREP.com, http://www.CIWcertified.com and http://www.ProsoftTraining.com.
This press release contains forward-looking information relating to revenue, demand for and the success of our products. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results. Risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in these forward-looking statements include but are not limited to risks associated with business and economic conditions, a lack of growth in information technology training the continued demand for certification in general, and CIW in particular, the continued acceptance of CIW as a standard, the inability to increase market share, the Company's ability to attract and retain key management and other personnel, and the other risks and uncertainties outlined in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Company undertakes no obligation to update this forward-looking information.
Copyright © 2001 Business Wire. All rights reserved.
How to write a basic web development proposal
When competing for web design/implementation contracts; a professionally presented web design proposal more often than not decides whether you win or lose the project. A web design proposal also decreases the incidences of misunderstandings between yourself and your clients when the project is under way and acts as a basis for a formal contract.
When putting together a basic web site proposal, you should include the following elements:
Your Information: Your background or company history, qualifications, skills, past achievements and contact details.
Project Overview: The company you are submitting the proposal for, your understanding of their products and services, the target market, the goals of the web site and a rough outline of how you will acheive them.
Theme: A description of style of site you are proposing. Elements from the client's current branding you will utilize or new elements you will develop.
Special Considerations: such as language, security or other issues pertaining to the company, site or target market that will need to be addressed.
Flowchart: A diagram showing the different pages of the site how navigation will occur.
Flowchart Description: A detailed description of each page.
Development Timeline: This should be a description of each stage of development, the estimated completion date and notes regarding client consultation and supply of information/feedback from the client. This may also include milestone payments for involved projects and site promotion activities. Make it clear that traffic takes time to build up after implementation and promotion should only occur after the site has been tested thoroughly. Improper implementation can cost months of traffic.
Costing: A descriptive breakdown of costing and total of quote including an end date before the price will need to be re-calculated. This will include items such as domain name registration, hosting fees and outsourcing for sections of the site you will not be able to develop yourself. Ensure you take into account items including travel time, electricity,telephone amd consumables. Factor in the cost of the proposal as well; a good proposal will take hours of your time and you should be compensated for that. In your eagerness to gain the contract, you may lose money if you quote too close to the bone. Bear in mind that things rarely go strictly to plan in web design and delays can be expected. Time is money. The going rate for web design services seems to be between US$25-$75 per labor hour at present; dependent upon the complexity of the task and the competency of the designer.
Terms and conditions: Expectations and commitments. It is not unusual for web projects to be delayed due to clients not supplying feedback or content necessary to complete sections. It is just as important to be clear in what you expect from your clients as well as explaining your commitment to them. Conflict resolution issues and feedback mechanisms should be described. Your clients will need to know what will occur if they do not supply information when requested, or request changes mid-stream and the action that you will take if you are running behind in the project yourself. You need to be clear on payment details and consequences of failure to pay for the services that you provide.
Mock-ups (samples). Be careful not to give too much away, just enough to give the client a good idea of what the site will look like. Ensure copyright notices and intellectual property statements are in place.
Maintenance. Summarize an offer of ongoing site maintenance or the implications of the client deciding to update or maintain the site themselves after it has been established.
The above points are usually sufficient to put together a professional web design proposal for a small to medium project. If drafting a proposal based on criteria given to you by the prospective client; be sure to address all the points. If the client suggests the proposal documentation be a certain format, respect that. In the culling process, the first proposals to be binned will be the ones that do not address all the criteria the client has laid down.
Bear in mind that not all the web design proposals you submit will be accepted. Be prepared to do some heavy revisions to satisfy your clients and to find a middle ground where all parties feel comfortable. A prospective client asking for revisions is a good sign - they are genuinely interested. Also remember that some companies will ask you for proposals purely to use as a comparison against another designer that they are interested in utilizing; so try and limit the amount of time you spend on the draft until the client gives indication of serious interest.
By Michael Bloch
michael@tamingthebeast.net
www.tamingthebeast.net
Tutorials, web content and tools, software and community
Marketing, eCommerce and General Training Services
Article courtesy of EzineArticles.com(tm)
http://www.ezinearticles.com/
When competing for web design/implementation contracts; a professionally presented web design proposal more often than not decides whether you win or lose the project. A web design proposal also decreases the incidences of misunderstandings between yourself and your clients when the project is under way and acts as a basis for a formal contract.
When putting together a basic web site proposal, you should include the following elements:
Your Information: Your background or company history, qualifications, skills, past achievements and contact details.
Project Overview: The company you are submitting the proposal for, your understanding of their products and services, the target market, the goals of the web site and a rough outline of how you will acheive them.
Theme: A description of style of site you are proposing. Elements from the client's current branding you will utilize or new elements you will develop.
Special Considerations: such as language, security or other issues pertaining to the company, site or target market that will need to be addressed.
Flowchart: A diagram showing the different pages of the site how navigation will occur.
Flowchart Description: A detailed description of each page.
Development Timeline: This should be a description of each stage of development, the estimated completion date and notes regarding client consultation and supply of information/feedback from the client. This may also include milestone payments for involved projects and site promotion activities. Make it clear that traffic takes time to build up after implementation and promotion should only occur after the site has been tested thoroughly. Improper implementation can cost months of traffic.
Costing: A descriptive breakdown of costing and total of quote including an end date before the price will need to be re-calculated. This will include items such as domain name registration, hosting fees and outsourcing for sections of the site you will not be able to develop yourself. Ensure you take into account items including travel time, electricity,telephone amd consumables. Factor in the cost of the proposal as well; a good proposal will take hours of your time and you should be compensated for that. In your eagerness to gain the contract, you may lose money if you quote too close to the bone. Bear in mind that things rarely go strictly to plan in web design and delays can be expected. Time is money. The going rate for web design services seems to be between US$25-$75 per labor hour at present; dependent upon the complexity of the task and the competency of the designer.
Terms and conditions: Expectations and commitments. It is not unusual for web projects to be delayed due to clients not supplying feedback or content necessary to complete sections. It is just as important to be clear in what you expect from your clients as well as explaining your commitment to them. Conflict resolution issues and feedback mechanisms should be described. Your clients will need to know what will occur if they do not supply information when requested, or request changes mid-stream and the action that you will take if you are running behind in the project yourself. You need to be clear on payment details and consequences of failure to pay for the services that you provide.
Mock-ups (samples). Be careful not to give too much away, just enough to give the client a good idea of what the site will look like. Ensure copyright notices and intellectual property statements are in place.
Maintenance. Summarize an offer of ongoing site maintenance or the implications of the client deciding to update or maintain the site themselves after it has been established.
The above points are usually sufficient to put together a professional web design proposal for a small to medium project. If drafting a proposal based on criteria given to you by the prospective client; be sure to address all the points. If the client suggests the proposal documentation be a certain format, respect that. In the culling process, the first proposals to be binned will be the ones that do not address all the criteria the client has laid down.
Bear in mind that not all the web design proposals you submit will be accepted. Be prepared to do some heavy revisions to satisfy your clients and to find a middle ground where all parties feel comfortable. A prospective client asking for revisions is a good sign - they are genuinely interested. Also remember that some companies will ask you for proposals purely to use as a comparison against another designer that they are interested in utilizing; so try and limit the amount of time you spend on the draft until the client gives indication of serious interest.
By Michael Bloch
michael@tamingthebeast.net
www.tamingthebeast.net
Tutorials, web content and tools, software and community
Marketing, eCommerce and General Training Services
Article courtesy of EzineArticles.com(tm)
http://www.ezinearticles.com/
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