Archive for the 'Resource' Category
Make sense of your favourite links
I have a confession to make: I am a pack rat by nature. (My family will not be surprised by this. Maybe it was those tender years of growing up on a sailboat, where you can’t keep much of anything.) When it comes to “Bookmarks” or “Favourites” — those web links you save in your browser as you surf — this tendency means a lot of folders full of saved links. Many folders means lots of places to lose all those great links.
Change Everything
It’s interesting that Christine’s latests posts on this blog have to do with change, because I’ve been thinking a lot lately that 2007 seems like a year of change for many people. Is it just me, or is everyone in the midst of or considering massive life changes? Maybe it’s that phenomenon that happens when you first become aware of a new word — suddenly you hear it everywhere.
I’ve recently moved to Roberts Creek on the Sunshine Coast, and left my “secure” large-corporation job for the adventure of working from my home office. And even though I’ve planned this for years, it surprised me how stressful even positive change can be. Combine all the new things your brain has to process (“Honey, where do these go?”, “Oh, we need a flashlight to take a walk after dark here…”), and you have one tired camper! It’s a good thing I’m fitting so much fresh air and beach time into my schedule.
If you’re thinking about making changes in your life, check out ChangeEverything.ca. It’s a community of people who are making changes in their lives and communities. You can read how others are doing, adopt the same challenges they’ve taken on, offer advice to others… Reading what others are doing can be inspiring, humbling, and eye-opening. Take for example the challenges faced in living plastic-free for a year.
ChangeEverything.ca is an arms-length initiative of VanCity Credit Union. It’s also a great example of the power of “Web 2.0” and social networking in action.
Freelance Switch: Community and Resource for Freelancers
Since making the switch from chemist to web developer, I can’t tell you how much I enjoy getting up in the morning. Aside from not having to handle toxic chemicals on a daily basis and smelling that ghastly lab-smell, I also don’t miss the commute, lunches from vending machines, unhappy coworkers and office politics. Starting my own business is by far the best move I made so far (after marrying my husband of course).
Launched just a few weeks ago, freelanceswitch.com is a website that offers loads of hints and tips for freelancers. Advice on how to take care of yourself while working long hours, managing your increasingly long list of usernames and passwords and reviews of the different types of pitching and decision-making clients are just a few of the articles that you can find.
It’s a great resource for anyone wishing to quit their job and start working for themselves. Not only is the site full of great information, it’s also beautifully designed. I wish I had access to this type of information when I launched Bluelime Media.
The Principles of Beautiful Web Design
I recently purchased a copy of Jason Beaird’s book “The Principles of Beautiful Web Design“. I must admit that I was skeptical when I purchased it. Unfortunately I’m one of those people who are influenced greatly by design. and thus tend to judge my books by their cover. Having just finished reading “Transcending CSS” which was exceptional, beautifully laid out and with a great looking cover, I didn’t think that a book which such a boring looking one would be very interesting. And the sentence “You don’t need to go to art school to design great looking web sites!” on the back also didn’t make me feel at ease. I know quite a few graphic designers whose face turns purple just hearing that kind of statement.
Thus I had very low expectations for this book and yet I would recommend it to anyone. The book is extremely informative, full of great images and resources and Jason does deliver what he promises. A simple, easy-to-follow guide illustrated with plenty of full-colour examples. This book is ideal for people who are just starting to get into web design, programmers who routinely build “somewhat dull” looking web applications or people like me who have been designing for years. I didn’t go to art school and so don’t know the fundamentals of design. I learned everything from the seat of my pants. I sure wish I had read this book years ago.