Posted on 27th January 2010 by admin in Content Management System
Drupal, Joomla, Open Source CMS Awards, Templates, WordPress
Not long ago, web developers custom coded Web Content Management Systems (CMS). Wikipedia defines a CMS as ” content management system (CMS) software, implemented as a Web application, for creating and managing HTML content.” Simply put, the CMS allows the administrator of a web site to go to a password protected area to make updates and/or additions to pages.
With the introduction of Drupal and Joomla, free open source CMS, web developers can rely on code already written and on a community of developers to create additions (plug-ins), and find support cost-free.
WordPress is a free open source blogging platform, that beat-out Joomla and narrowly came in second to Drupal to win the 2009 Open Source CMS award. What that means to you? Even greater value for your web site investment. WordPress not only has a truly easy-to-use CMS, it is Search Engine Friendly and as a blogging platform, helps you keep the customer informed and drive traffic to your web site by creating fresh content and information.
Drupal, Joomla, and WordPress templates are also sophisticated and attractive. Newarly all web hosting companies provide web site templates with an administrative tool but these templates are often too limited in their options and unattractive. The only domain registration and hosting company we found reliable with a strong easy-to-use CMS is the Network Solutions Image Cafe. Although we do not make it a rule to plug the competition, Network Solutions is a company that recognizes customized care and personal client relationships are irreplaceable and work to support B2B relationships between themselves and Web Development firms. This web site package is an example of “closed source” or proprietary software. We cannot read the code to build on it. You take what you get and if you want to change companies you have to scrap your website and begin a new.
When an enterprise edition application (java or .net) or custom PHP Framework is not required, Joomla, Drupal and WordPress all offer a wide variety of solutions to ensure flexibility and growth without compromising the value to the user.
Posted on 22nd January 2010 by admin in GUI Design
I have heard versions of this statement many times ” Our logo color looks completely different on my laptop than my work computer.” . If the color is a Pantone Blue or CMYK for example there are ways to find the best approximation. The challenges are when the blue is to be identified “by look on the page.” A page on a monitor screen has variables that effect the look that do not exist in print: Video / graphic cards, browser differences, monitor settings.
I use to have a palate of WebSafe colors posted on my bulletin board right next to my monitor. “Web Safe” meant that most monitors & browsers will render these colors the same. But this is still relative. Web colors are called “Hex Value.” There is a range within these Hex Values that are considered “safe” in that they will look virtually the same despite computer variables. There is no such thing as a true Pantone Color online. There are now books and guides out there that can convert Pantone to the Hex value. There are also tools of the trade for this. The dropper tool in Photoshop 6 or later provides accurate color conversions.
The top of the swatch represents the safe color and the bottom is the closest hex value to Pantone 072.
Many will find the difference acceptable but it is not unusual for the web safe color to get nixed. One cannot make a conclusive decision of which color looks the “best” from looking at the swatch on their computer or even on one, two, or ten other monitors since the chosen color will almost always deviate from the original. Ultimately, we have to feel confident signing off on the prototype and that will most likely happen from our own computers. If we pick a hex value we are happier with like the lower color of the swatch example, our midnight blue may look royal purple to our neighbors.
There may not be a resolution any time soon to standardize print to web as we do print to paper. This will no doubt be something we will have to continue to find a compromise.
