Quick Links – Page 9 – Still Breathing

Web developers hold the power

Posted on May 30, 2007May 30, 2007 by chris

I read somewhere recently how web developers (designers, usability people etc) are far more important that they are given credit for. I’m not going to disagree 😉 The thinking is that in this increasingly web-centric world we live in, the people building the web are the ones who hold the power.

That isn’t so hard to understand. After all, the people who held the power during the Industrial Revolution were the ones developing steam power. Back a few more millennia and the ones holding the power were the ones developing fire. Power isn’t just about physical brute strength, power is about knowledge. And without the knowledge of the increasingly numerous ranks of web workers the Digital Revolution ain’t going to change a thing.

Which makes Patrick Kennedy’s article all the more true. We do hold the power to shape the future. The web is changing everything, this web we hold in our hands and shape with our fingers. It’s changing politics, fashion, entertainment, commerce, communication – hell, it’s changing what it means to be one human in a world of other humans.

So the question is, how wisely are we using our power?

I’m so POSH

Posted on May 25, 2007May 25, 2007 by chris

My wife accuses me of being posh all the time. And now, in a way, it’s true.

Diago – church management

Posted on May 22, 2007May 22, 2007 by chris

There’s a neat-looking new web application been released specifically for church management. While it’s aimed more for the US market, it’s still got some neat features as well as a pile of Web 2.0-goodness. So take a look at Diago if you’re one of the 4 people worldwide who need to manage a church.

Announcing BeatsBase – Community site for DJs

Posted on May 19, 2007May 25, 2007 by chris

Finally I can announce with a great deal of joy, that BeatsBase is live. It’s been a lot of work, but every bit has been enjoyable and Robbie has been the most fantastic client.

I’ve spoken about BeatsBase quite a bit before, so I just recommend you take a look yourself to get the lowdown. Suffice to say we’ve still got loads of ideas for the site so the work has really only just begun, but for now I’ll crack open a bottle of beer and eat this final chocolate eclair.

Genius

Posted on May 14, 2007 by chris

The projectGenie website has had a little makeover using the estimable WordPress system. While not much has changed on the surface, underneath the bonnet it’s an entirely different animal which means it’s a whole lot easier to update. So, hopefully, that will mean no more 5 month gaps between announcements.

And speaking of announcements, there’s good news. I’ve started (albeit slowly) to rewrite the projectGenie software for the forthcoming Brookmeyer version. As well as using my JavaScript library based on Prototype for click-candy purposes, it also has a few neat new features. For example user flags for items, sortable lists, finance management and time management.

projectGenie (yes the ‘p’ is meant to be lower case, don’t ask me why) is a completely free project management system written in PHP and using a MySQL database. Designed for website development teams it could also be used by pretty much anyone else wanting something better than a stack of scribbled notes on the back of envelopes, but without the budget for something all-singing, all-dancing.